


When One Domino Falls

by Warchief416



Series: Korpulu Alliance [1]
Category: StarCraft (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, StarCraft AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:48:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 44
Words: 204,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28461936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warchief416/pseuds/Warchief416
Summary: All it takes to change history is one thing to fall differently. So what would happen if the battle of New Gettysburg played out differently? What if the Commander was wary enough to buy some time? Will follow the story of Starcraft from New Gettysburg right through to SC2 and beyond. Starcraft belongs to Blizzard. This is a cross-post from Fanfiction.net.
Relationships: November "Nova" Terra/Magistrate, Sarah Kerrigan/Jim Raynor
Series: Korpulu Alliance [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2084772
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	1. Prologue

Antiga Prime, 13th December 2540

Official residence of Admiral Jason Davis (retired)

Looking around the room, I smiled at the happy scenes of those close to me. My youngest daughter, Selina, was finally celebrating her 18th birthday and coming of age, so our extended friends and family had turned out in force to celebrate it with us. The old house we had built after the war was practically groaning at the seams, barely containing both the sheer number of people and the cheerful atmosphere produced by everyone inside. Selina herself was flitting around the room, eyes sparkling with a mixture of pleasure and mischief, mixing with the guests and generally enjoying herself. Against the wall, the eldest of my children, 26-year-old Kath, was watching the organised chaos with her own degree of amusement at the antics of her younger sibling. That wasn’t surprising, as she had certainly inherited her mother’s (and my own) mischievous nature. Like me, however, she preferred to stay out of the spotlight and quietly observe unless she needed to get involved. She saw no need to take the limelight off her younger sister. Her 22-year-old brother, and the middle child of the three, James, generally followed his older sister’s example, although he mixed in the party more closely than Kath, staying close enough to keep a protective eye on Selina in case she found herself deeper than she expected. The low hum of conversation filled the room, along with occasional bursts of laughter. Drinking in the pleasant feelings from the entire affair, I smiled as I saw my wife slipping back to my side.

“Hard to believe they’re all grown up.” She smiled softly.

I snorted. “Seems like yesterday they were all running around, causing chaos, doesn’t it?”

She fixed a stern eye on me. “That would be because it was yesterday. And you were no better, you always encouraged that. They definitely all got that from you.”

I chuckled. “And I suppose you raised them to be little angels. You’re as guilty as I am, milady.”

She shrugged. “Did you have a point in there somewhere?”

“No, dear. Just making an observation.”

She laughed softly. “Come on, you shouldn’t be lurking on the edge.” Despite my half-hearted protests, she dragged me into the centre of the maelstrom.

For the next few hours, I allowed myself to be lost in the middle of the party, catching up with old friends and generally enjoying myself. Finally, though, the party ended, and the majority of the guests drifted out, with only our oldest and closest friends and older adult children remaining overnight. With a final good night, we all headed off to bed ourselves, relaxing after a long, but undeniably pleasant day.

Years of habit had me awake early the next morning, but the incentive of having my beautiful wife snuggled close against me and the lack of any reason to get up meant I was disinclined to move anywhere. Finally, however, the morning progressed enough that I couldn’t stay put any longer. Giving her a gentle kiss and a whispered good morning, I slipped out of bed, dressing and heading downstairs to start breakfast. I was more than a little surprised to find all three of my children already there, waiting for me with the table set and breakfast slowly heating on the stove. My eyes flicked from one to the other, before staring around the room exaggeratingly.

“Ok, so what traps have you set today?” I jokingly demanded.

All three started back with picture perfect innocent faces. “Dad, we have no idea what you’re talking about.” Selina said sweetly.

James did a perfect impression of being hurt. “We do something nice for Mum and you, and you accuse us of trying to prank you.”

“Yes, because I know all three of you.” I replied, eyes narrowed. While there were the somewhat joking impressions that I would normally expect in a situation like this, there was an undertone of seriousness that I hadn’t expected to see, particularly in Kath’s eyes. Whatever was going on, this wasn’t just a prank, or possibly not even a prank at all. “Spill it.”

A nervous glance was exchanged between all three. “Can you get Mum, please?” Kath asked. “And probably Auntie Sarah and Uncle Jim as well?”

I nodded slightly, a pit beginning to form in my gut at the possible scenarios that this implied. “I’ll be back.”

As I left the room, I saw Jim and Sarah’s own three kids, 28-year-old Matt, 26-year-old Liddy and 24-year-old Rory looking sheepishly at me. I inclined my head as I looked at them.

“You three in on this as well? I asked quietly.

“More or less.” Matt replies, looking me in the eye.

I sighed. “Why doesn’t that surprise me. I’ll get your parents then.”

Cursing under my breath, I headed back upstairs, to see Jim emerging from their guest room. The smile on his face faded as he saw me.

“I was going to say good morning, but I’m not sure if that’s going to be appropriate. What’s wrong?”

“The kids want to talk to us. All of us.” I said shortly. “Made breakfast and everything.”

Jim exhaled. “I see why you’re concerned. I’ll get Sarah up.” Without another word, he turned back into their room as I continued back to ours. As I slipped inside, the vision of beauty I was greeted with rewarded me with a soft smile. Like Jim’s, however, it vanished as she took in my expression.

“What’s going on?”

I swallowed. “Both our kids and the Raynor’s children want to talk to all of us. I can’t think of many topics that they’d all want to discuss with us.”

Her face paled. “Except the war.”

I nodded grimly. “We did keep putting them off with ‘Tell you when you’re older’. Don’t really have any more room to hold it off.” In an effort to be somewhat more light-hearted, I continued, “On the plus side, they did make breakfast. And it doesn’t even seem to be rigged this time.”

She snorted. “Well, at least there’s some good news.” Finishing her preparations, she walked over to me. “Shall we face the music, then?”

“Indeed, milady.” I replied, offering my arm.

As we made our way downstairs, Jim and Sarah emerged from their own room, looking about as happy as we felt. None of us spoke as we re-joined our children. Breakfast was a silent affair, and it didn’t improve as we adjourned to the living room. All of them looked rather nervous now, and silence filled the room uncomfortably. Finally, I sighed and sat down.

“Come on, spit it out. You’ve got something you want to say and we’re all here.”

Everyone else also sat, with the tension continuing to build up, until Selina finally spoke.

“None of you have ever really spoken about the war. We’ve all been taught about it in school, but it’s always felt a little off. Like there was something missing.”

“Told you,” Sarah said, holding her hand out. Grumbling, Jim handed over a few credit bills. A brief chuckle ran through the room at the actions of the elder Raynors.

I faced Selina. “We’ve never spoken about it because those aren’t times that we’re particularly fond of remembering. Those were far from the best days of our lives, sweetheart.”

Sarah said softly. “We all have our demons that we still have to face from then. Even now.”

“We know.” Kath said quietly. “Even with what we do know, it can’t have been an easy time for any of you. But we just want to understand.”

Matt grimaced. “There’s a lot of discussion about what happened. A lot of people think there’s a bunch of holes in the official history and, well, given everything...”

Jim groaned. “Of course, everyone’s asked you what the ‘real’ story is. Vultures.”

“It’s not exactly unexpected.” Sarah said softly. “Kids will be like that, you know that.”

“I’m surprised you waited so long to ask.” My wife commented to the young adults opposite us.

James shrugged. “That was my idea. It wasn’t fair for us to ask when we couldn’t all get the answers. So, we had to wait for the baby here to grow up.” Selina slapped at his arm in annoyance, but it did its job, drawing another chuckle out of everyone.

I closed my eyes in frustration. I had honestly hoped that this day would never come. While the final destination had proven to be a good one, the journey we had endured to get there had been utter torture, for us and the whole sector. It was rare to find a veteran of the wars who would willingly talk at length about what had happened. Given what we had done, and witnessed, we were no exception to that, and all of our children knew that very well.

But all three had also inherited my sheer bloody-minded determination and stubbornness and I knew that the simple dismissal like I wanted to go with was going to go down like a crippled battlecruiser. I sighed and exchanged glances with the others. I saw the same reluctant understanding in them that I felt myself. My wife reached out, grabbing my hand. “You can’t shield them forever, Jason. You knew we had to tell them everything at some point.”

“I know.” I sighed. “Doesn’t mean I won’t try.” I fixed my attention back on them. “You’re right in that the “official” history doesn’t have the full story. That’s because very few actually knew the full story to begin with. It wasn’t something we did deliberately, but when it came about, we didn’t feel the need to correct the account. At least not enough for us to do anything about actually doing it.”

“I think we were more relieved than anything else.” Jim agreed. “Not having everyone trying to judge us on what we actually did with the benefit of hindsight was definitely a good thing.”

The children looked horrified. “But some of the things people say-” Rory started.

“We know, son. Better than you may think.” Sarah replied.

“It’s easier and safer for people to judge us on a lie, than the truth.” My wife said softly. “We all have blood on our hands from those days and not all of it was from our enemies.”

I stared at them in challenge. “You’re determined to know the truth? Even though knowing it will change everything?”

Kath stared back unflinchingly. “We are.” She answered firmly.

My wife and I exchanged glances, before she pulled out a small memory drive that she had concealed within our room. “We’re not going to give you the full story just yet. It’s not a small undertaking. What we will give you is the beginning of the story.”

I took over from where she had left off. “That contains my account of what happened during the first war. From the fall of the Confederacy and onwards. I started putting it together after the Brood Wars and expanded it ever since.”

“Be warned, it is just your father’s memories of what happened. We helped him with places, but it’s his thoughts and impressions that are within.” Sarah warned Kath.

“Given his role in everything, though, you’ll find it to be fairly exhaustive. If you want the full story, that’s where you’ll find it.” Jim added.

I held up a hand to forestall any questions. “Read it first. Then we can discuss it. None of us want to relive it more than we have to.”

Kath held the drive up and all six children looked at it like it was the Holy Grail. “Thank you.” Kath whispered.

I smiled slightly. “Go on, scoot. I’m sure you all want to get into it.”

With murmured thanks, the six all stood, hugged us and left us in peace. We watched them leave, then slumped back into our chairs.

“Well, that just happened.” Jim commented.

“Yeah.” Sarah agreed. “This isn’t going to be an easy time afterwards.”

Each of us were silent, lost in our memories of times long past. Finally, Jim stirred and looked at me.

“Did you ever decide what to call it all?” He asked. “I know you never really had a name for it when you started?”

“The entire account, no. But I did name what we just gave the kids. Thought of something rather appropriate in the end.

Sarah looked interested. “What did you come up with?” She asked.

I smiled slightly. “When One Domino Falls.”


	2. A Gut Instinct

Tarsonis High Orbit, 2500

Waking up suddenly is rarely a good way to start the day. Even less so when you wake up and you're sure that you've forgotten something important. In my case, it was a weird dream that seemed all too real and there was something about it that I needed to but couldn't quite remember. All I could remember was a series of images and words that made no sense. Slowly, I staggered out of my bunk and splashed my face to try and wake up, hoping it might help. As usual and as I expected, it didn't.

Sitting down again, my mind drifted to the previous day and the debacle of a mission with that arrogant idiot Duke. We had been tasked with breaking through the Confederate capital world's defences, but as I'd come to expect from fighting both with and against the man, he was no tactician and even less of a commander. The man wasn't worth being called a soldier, let alone a warrior.

And then, just to add to the fun, there was Mengsk's "plan". Thinking it over, it wasn't really a surprise that he'd kept it between him and Duke, Duke was a cold-hearted bastard who really wouldn't care in the slightest. But then no one had anticipated that Mengsk would be crazy enough to lure the Zerg to a civilian population.

My thoughts were interrupted by my door sliding open. Given that I was sleeping on my own ship rather than the _Hyperion_ right now, there were only a couple of individuals who could open that door without my permission. I looked up to find one of the few people with the code. Jim Raynor and I had gone back a fair way, back to when he was one of my Marshals on Mar Sara, in the days when I was still a Confederate Magistrate. Funny, at best that could only have been a few months ago, and yet it felt like years. As bad as times had been for us, both of us were at least reasonably happy until the Tarsonis campaign. Of course, Jim had more reason than most to be pleased.

His relationship with Mengsk's lieutenant, Sarah Kerrigan, while not exactly advertised by the couple, was not really secret either. Personally, I was glad to see the man find someone like her. It was always going to take a formidable woman to bring him out of his buried grief for his dead wife and son, but Sarah undoubtedly qualified in this regard. From what little I had found out about her history, she had had a harder run than even Jim. Having been around them both while working and during downtime, I knew quite well that professionally they were individually very lethal, but together were damn near unstoppable. Outside of combat, the pair were somewhat nervous, but they fit together like a fist in a glove.

I was brought back out of my musing by Jim clearing his throat. "Come on Ranger, Mengsk wants us again".

Groaning, I got up and glared at him. "So, what delightful twist is he not going to tell us about this time?" I replied.

Jim, Sarah and I hadn't been told that Mengsk had ordered Duke to place the bloody Psi Emitters on the orbital platform he and I had cleared out the previous day. None of us reacted particularly well to the revelation and my trust of Mengsk, already significantly lower than Jim or Sarah, had sunk another couple of notches. This was a fair part of the reason why I was sleeping back on my own ship, the _Stingray_ -class gunship _Liberator_ , not really wanting to be within spitting distance of Mengsk.

"Not sure, but you know there'll be something," came the reply.

Walking out and keying my door closed, Jim and I walked along the corridor towards the airlock where the _Hyperion_ was currently docked. "Yeah, just a case of what crazy task he gives us this time. I'm not holding my breath for a sane battle plan," I said, feeling somewhat snarky towards things at present.

"I know what you mean. I wasn't sure things could get any more interesting before, then he pulled that."

"Yeah, and things can always get worse."

This business with the dream wasn't helping matters either. I was starting to remember bits and pieces now, I knew it was related to Kerrigan, but I still couldn't see exactly what or why I had had it now. It was probably just my subconscious trying to sort out recent events. Still, my gut feeling was that something big was about to happen and ignoring my instincts had never helped matters before. As the airlock opened, a Marine was waiting on the far side.

"Sir, General Mengsk requests your presence in the conference room immediately."

"Thank you, Sergeant," I replied, "Tell him we'll be there momentarily."

The Marine saluted as we walked past, and I could hear him activate his comm as we moved out of range. Jim and I exchanged glances, not needing to say a word to communicate that continuing our previous discussion on Mengsk's flagship was probably not the wisest of moves.

In under a minute, we reached the conference room and entered to find Mengsk and Duke already deep in discussion while the adjutant remained waiting patiently. Mengsk turned to face us as we arrived. "Commander, Captain, thank you for joining us. Let us begin."

Jim and I both took our seats, as the adjutant began to speak. "I've picked up several dozen Protoss warships descending upon Tarsonis. They appear to be on a direct course to the Primary Zerg hive."

The Protoss. We knew very little about the enigmatic race, but I had noticed that where the Zerg appeared, they were not far behind. Given that Mengsk had just lured the Zerg here, it was no real surprise that they would show up.

Before anyone had a chance to speak, Mengsk slammed his fist on the table. "If they engage the Zerg, the Confederates may escape." He paused for a minute and looked directly at me. "Commander, send Lieutenant Kerrigan with a strike force to engage the Protoss. Captain Raynor and General Duke will remain behind on the command ship."

Right. One Ghost, and what I could cobble together as a strike force, to take on two hostile armies and we could only engage one of them in offensive operations. There was a variety of technical terms to describe what Mengsk had just given me. The politest of them was 'suicide mission', but FUBAR was more what I had in mind. At the same moment, my instincts were screaming that there was something wrong with this. I didn't need them to tell me, I _knew_ everything was wrong with this.

Jim, unsurprisingly, was furious. In a heated voice that gained in volume as he went, he snarled at Mengsk, "First you sell out every person on this planet to the Zerg, then you ask us to go up against the Protoss." Almost yelling by now, he finished, "And you're goin' to send Kerrigan down there with no backup!"

If looks could kill then, both Mengsk and Raynor would be dead by now. In a voice as chilly as winter, Mengsk replied, "I have absolute confidence in Kerrigan's ability to hold off the Protoss."

That all sounded well and good but holding off the Protoss wasn't exactly the only issue facing this mission and I found it strange that Mengsk didn't mention the Zerg. Still right now, I had very little room to manoeuvre to stop this mission, which meant I had to attack the issues from another direction. "Mengsk, stopping the Protoss while not being able to attack the Zerg with what you're giving me is no simple task," I said quietly. "We're going to lose a lot of people if we do this, more than I think the mission is likely to be worth."

The look of cold fury Mengsk directed at me spoke volumes even before he opened his mouth. "No! The Confederacy must not be allowed to escape."

"The Confederacy is practically dead in the water. About all the Zerg will do is put the final nail in their coffin and kill billions of civilians along with them. There is no tactical reason to allow the Zerg to remain here, and every humanitarian reason to ensure the survival of the civilian population."

"You will make sure the Protoss do not succeed in destroying the Zerg, unless you wish someone else to take your role Commander..." He trailed off but the threat was clear. While I wasn't particularly afraid of him, if he was hell-bent on this, then I was going to make sure we could pull it off. That didn't mean the argument was over, however.

"You'll what? Replace me? Who else have you got that could stand a chance of doing this and would be prepared to go down there? Kerrigan's already going but she alone won't be able to manage it, Duke isn't good enough to pull it off, I strongly doubt Jim is crazy enough to do this and the rest of your commanders? They haven't a chance in hell of getting this done and you know it."

Duke started spluttering but I just went over the top of him. "The only other commander you have that could do this is you yourself. And I strongly doubt you are going to take this mission on."

By this time, Mengsk was nearly ready to burst a blood vessel.

"So Mengsk, I'll make you a deal. I will do this, but I will do it my way. That means no interference from you, of any kind."

"Are you saying you don't trust me?" Mengsk asked coldly.

I raised an eyebrow. "Trust works both ways. You could have at least filled me in on the fact that you intended to use Psi Emitters. You've made it clear you don't trust me, and given that, I'm not exactly sure why I should trust you."

Mengsk was silent.

"That's the deal, Arcturus. Either do this yourself, or I do it my way, your choice."

Mengsk glared at me, internally raging. "You had better get this done right. Just get the job done."

Sighing, I nodded, "Very well. In that case, I had better make what preparations I can." Standing, I looked at Jim. "Jim, would you mind bringing Kerrigan to the tac room ASAP. It would be better to sort out a battle plan before we start." I didn't need to tell Jim that I meant the tac room on the _Liberator_ , he knew exactly what I meant. Nodding to Mengsk and Duke, I walked out and began heading to the _Liberator_ myself. Pulling this off was going to take every bit of skill and craziness I could muster and given what I had in mind, I wasn't going to allow Mengsk anywhere near the planning for this op.


	3. Make everyone look at one hand

Walking back to the _Liberator_ , I was barely paying any attention to where I was going, considering the briefing I'd just left, and its implications, was proving to be highly distracting. As I walked into the _Liberator_ 's tactical room, I was still turning the problem over in my mind when I saw the tactical display that my own AI, Jess, had produced. The most obvious aspect displayed was the Protoss fleet holding position above New Gettysburg. I sighed, the fleet was going to be a major complication to any assault, given we had no presence on the ground there. Looking closer, however, it became obvious that the Protoss were _landing_ ground forces just outside the city. I searched my memory, trying to remember an occasion when the Protoss had chosen to engage the Zerg in a ground offensive, rather than bombarding them and any other life-forms from orbit.

"Jess, have we any records of the Protoss engaging in a ground war before?" I asked, unable to remember any instances.

"No, Commander. The Protoss have always only ever fought from orbit," came the quick reply.

So, a new situation to deal with. That left me with three big questions I needed answers to.

Why had the Protoss landed ground forces here?

Why was Mengsk so insistent on preventing them from destroying the Zerg base?

And most importantly, why was he so keen on Kerrigan leading the ground operation and Jim and Duke remaining on the _Hyperion_?

The last two questions were difficult to answer at this point, so I concentrated on the first. Over the next few minutes, Jess and I reviewed the scans of New Gettysburg, searching for a reason why the Protoss would choose such a risky tactic. We quickly confirmed that there were no high-level military targets or other Confederate facilities that might have held secrets or technology that the Protoss would likely be interested in. Given the technology of the Protoss, it was never likely to be the case, but it was best to be sure. The next aspect of our search was targeted at the Zerg forces, searching for something unusual that the Protoss might have had an interest in. Again, nothing stood out.

Understanding the enemy's objectives are always key to victory in any engagement, and not knowing why the Protoss were here and acting as they were was unnerving. But when the impossible is eliminated and only the improbable remains...

"Jess, how close are the Protoss to the surviving Confederate positions?"

"The nearest position is 43.6km from the main Protoss base, although civilian positions are closer. Both, however, have the Protoss base between them and the Zerg."

...The improbable, however unlikely, must be the answer.

The Protoss were fighting a ground war in order to _prevent_ the Zerg from attacking the Confederates and the civilian population.

Leaning back in my chair, the first flickering of light at the end of the tunnel began to appear. The Protoss commander had evidently baulked at the billions of Terran lives that would be collateral damage in an orbital attack and so was trying to avoid such an extreme solution. Given that they were entrenched closer to the civilian positions, the odds were good that the Confederacy hadn't turned to them for help, an unlikely situation in any case. So, the Protoss had willingly chosen to defend civilian lives against the Zerg. I became even less convinced that this mission was a good idea for the reasons Mengsk had given, but it might be a good opportunity to try and find out more about the Protoss, and maybe manage to save some lives, even if Mengsk didn't care for them.

For the next question, the answer was likely just as Mengsk had said, he didn't want the Confederacy to have a chance to escape. I could believe that; Mengsk's hatred of the Confederacy was legendary and I sympathised with him to a degree, but not to the tune of billions of civilian lives, thanks all the same. The last question was the hardest. Kerrigan was arguably the most loyal of Mengsk's inner circle, even more so than Duke now was. And yet he was knowingly sending her on a suicide mission while, it could be argued, keeping Jim and Duke out of harm's way. The only answer that made sense was that Mengsk either expected or _wanted_ Kerrigan to die at New Gettysburg. But why? There had to be an element I was missing. As I heard the door hiss open behind me, I realised I might have a chance to find out exactly what.

Spinning around, I saw Jim and Sarah walk in, their expressions considerably less happy than when I had seen them before they disappeared the previous night. Sarah's slim but powerful frame radiated with tension and the beautiful features of her face that had been softened with rare pleasure last night were now back to their usual hard lines, with the chill practically radiating off her body. I didn't need to wait long to find out why. Predictably, Jim was the first to speak.

"This is bullshit."

Sarah rolled her eyes, and shot back, "I heard you the first time Jimmy. It doesn't change anything; I'm still going down there."

"Funny, I never thought of you as anyone's martyr."

"Now, you're talking bullshit."

I cleared my throat before the argument got any worse. "Nice to see you two getting along so well." I smirked.

As expected, one pair of green and one pair of brown eyes snapped around with matching glares. I grinned for a second before becoming serious. "You do both have a valid point though. Jim, I think we do need to head down there." I held up a hand as Jim began to open his mouth, no doubt to voice his heated opposition, "But not for the reason that Mengsk have given us."

That earned me Sarah's immediate wrath. "What?"

Turning back to the display, I walked them through what Jess and I had deduced about the Protoss's intentions.

"Pretty thin evidence," was Jim's comment.

"Maybe," I replied, "But, at this point, I can't come up with another reason why they'd be on the ground."

"You may have a point," Sarah allowed, "But this doesn't explain why you think Mengsk is wrong."

"Sarah, when your principles mean that several billion people will die because of your actions in order to gain such a small amount, it may well be that your principles are wrong," I replied. "At this point, it's not really going to matter whether the Protoss destroy the Zerg or not, the Confederacy is still more than likely finished. Killing several billion people to make sure of it is pointless and putting an entire strike force at risk by placing them between two hostile armies is not a smart strategy if you want that force to survive."

"Mengsk knows what he's doing. We can deal with the Zerg after the Confederacy and the Protoss. He'll come around, I know he will because, well, I just know he will. I am a ghost, remember?"

"I'm sure he does know what he's doing. That's part of the problem for me though."

"Oh? So, what's the rest?"

I looked Sarah in the eye. Given that she was the most powerful Ghost in existence, she likely already knew what I was going to say.

"Does Mengsk have a reason to want you dead?"

Silence echoed through the room for a few seconds before Sarah started laughing.

"You're joking, right?" she managed to get out.

A few more seconds went past before she stopped laughing and took in my expression.

"You're serious?"

"Deadly." I replied. "Mengsk was very keen on you and I running this mission. He knows this is, in all likelihood, a suicide mission. I know he wouldn't mind seeing me out of the picture; I've been too vocal with my opposition to some of his ideas, especially the use of the Psi Emitters. He obviously doesn't care about the human cost to get this done. If that's the case, then he must be at least prepared for you not to survive this either."

Grim silence fell across the room. Jim looked from Sarah to me and finally spoke.

"You really think that Mengsk would leave Sarah to die?"

"It's a possibility I can't discount. Sarah hasn't exactly been quiet about the Psi Emitters either. I could be wrong, and I hope I am, but I'd rather not find out the hard way that I'm not."

Watching Sarah's face, I could see the barest flicker of pain, fear and panic before she got her face back under control, but it was enough to make my heart sink. There was obviously something in her past that would be enough of a reason for Mengsk to want her dead. What I'd outlined was at least possible in her mind. A quick glance at Jim told me he had noticed as well.

"Sarah?" Jim asked softly.

Almost too soft to hear, she spoke, "He said he'd forgiven me for it".

Jim and I waited in silence. Finally, she spoke.

"Do you remember how Mengsk's family was killed before he took over the Sons of Korhal?"

"Sure," I replied. "It was always said that a group of Confederate..."

I trailed off as my mind connected the dots.

Confederate Ghosts had killed Mengsk's family.

At the time, Sarah had still been forced to serve the Confederacy.

She was the strongest Ghost that had ever lived.

What was the chance that she had been part of the team that had killed Angus Mengsk as well as his wife and daughter?

 _No bet_.

Looking at Jim, I could tell he'd worked it out as well. His look of horror and fury was plain to see.

Finally, I spoke. "I think we may have a very good reason to be worried."

Jim nodded. "So now that we're in this mess, how do we get out of it?"

That was, fortunately, a question I had an answer to.

"We need to be seen to be carrying this out. I never intended to do this quickly, the risks were too great, but we need to take this slower still. So firstly, we need to get the base up and running, and defences established."

Sarah nodded; none of this was out of the ordinary, we'd done this plenty of times before. Turning back to the display, I pulled up the overview of New Gettysburg, with the positions of the Zerg, Protoss and where our base was to be established. Pointing to a location 5km south of our base, I continued, "This mineral deposit is our next target. No one else has claimed it yet and I want some distance between us and the Zerg. Defensively, it's not ideal but it's a lot better than having the Zerg on our doorstep. Once that position is established Sarah, I want you and all our forces not required to hold the Zerg back to relocate to that position."

She nodded, a spark of light coming back into her eyes. "That should give us a better chance of mounting a counter-strike if the Zerg should try and swarm us."

"Right," I replied. "We'll need to get some ghosts prepared to deploy, and I also want some battlecruisers and nukes ready as well. Air power and massive striking capability is going to be a must. But I want to try something tricky before we have to fight the Protoss."

"This should be good," Jim chuckled.

I grinned in return and turned to Sarah. "How hard would it be to sneak into the Protoss base without killing any of them?"


	4. While you're doing something else

It always gave me something of a thrill to see people speechless after I started laying out a tactic.

Finally, Sarah spoke. "You have got to be kidding me."

I grinned at her. "Not at all, it's probably about our best way of actually managing to talk to the Protoss about what's going on."

Again, silence filled the room.

"Talking to the Protoss? You sure you're not interested in killing me too?" Sarah finally spluttered.

"I didn't say you had to do it." I replied coolly. Turning back to the display, I explained as Sarah and Jim walked up to look on. "There are no Protoss forces near our landing zone, right? Nor are there any close to that mineral reserve. I imagine that they will probably send some troops to scout us out. If they open fire on us, then we'll have to defend ourselves, but at this point, I don't want to actively engage them, we'll have enough trouble with the Zerg."

"But if we can't-," Sarah started.

"Hang on a sec," Jim interrupted. "Let me get this straight. You think that, if we’re not attacking the Protoss, they won't kill a messenger that penetrates right into the heart of their base?"

"That's the idea," I nodded. "I think, given their deployment here and how they've positioned themselves, it's safe to assume they have concepts of honour and such, they aren't monsters like the Zerg. If we can actively avoid killing them and get a message to them that we want to talk..."

Jim's head snapped up as if he'd had an electric shock. "That might be crazy enough to actually work."

"Assuming that works, and we can get them to talk, what then?" Sarah said, her eyes narrowed.

I smiled. "If we can find out what they're here for, then that will help to dictate how we go about our mission. Despite what Mengsk says, the Zerg are the greater threat here. Who knows, we might be able to convince the Protoss that the Confederates need to be taken out too. We can evacuate as many civilians as possible, leave the Confederacy and Zerg to fight it out and the Protoss can bombard from orbit once we have everyone else off world. Mengsk still gets what he says he wants; it's no longer a suicide mission and we can save a lot of lives and maybe open up some possibilities with the Protoss."

"So how do we get into the Protoss base?" Jim wanted to know.

I grinned. "Lock-downs."

Sarah's eyes widened and a small smile began to cross her face. "That would work. A ghost team disables the defences and one slips in to give the message. No one dies on either side unless they have other detectors."

"That is why we'll have two teams hitting different parts of the defensive line, so they don't know which to go to."

Sarah was silent for a few seconds, considering the possibilities. Then she spoke. "This is all still based on your idea that Mengsk wants me dead, isn't it?"

"At the moment, I'd rather plan on the worst-case scenario than anything else. Speaking of which Jim, I need you to talk to our friends. If things go south, I want to make sure we've got enough dropships to get everyone out and enough cover fire to support them."

Jim nodded. "Count on it."

Sarah looked up at Jim and I, tears almost starting to flow. "You know, I don't think anyone I've ever known has been willing to lay so much on the line for me as you two."

Seeing signs of emotion from the normally ice-cold Ghost? Maybe Jim was making progress with getting her to open up after all. I was _very_ careful not to think about that, since pissing off a PI 10 Ghost that could read your thoughts was not recommended. In any case, it didn't look like Sarah was paying attention to me, looking at Jim with a small smile. "Pig," she said.

Jim laughed, "Guilty as charged."

I joined in. "Sarah, I'm not explaining to Jim why his girlfriend doesn't want to come home."

That proved to be too much, and I ended up with a double armful of sobbing woman. Jim and I exchanged a startled look as Sarah struggled to bring herself under control. Finally, she stepped away and looked at the pair of us. "Thank you. For everything." she whispered.

I grinned. "You're welcome, Sarah. Come on, let's get our mind back in the game. We've got work to do."

She nodded, her face back to the usual mask. "I'll see you on the ground."

Jim gave her a quick hug. "Good hunting, darlin'."

For once, establishing a base wasn't the mad scramble that I was used to. A pair of bunkers and siege tanks at each entrance, coupled with some missile turrets proved to be more than capable of dealing with both the Zerg and Protoss probing attacks, allowing us to concentrate on building up forces, as well as securing the southern mineral deposits we'd seen earlier. Air power would have to wait until we had that base online, the risk of someone with an itchy trigger finger was just too great. Still, things were moving as I'd hoped. The door hissed open, revealing Jim walking in. I didn't look up beyond a quick glance to confirm who was at the door. Jim quickly walked around to the display, looking over the battlefield overview as he went. "So far, so good then," he commented.

"For once, yes. I'm not holding my breath for everything to keep working though," I replied. "The Protoss seem to have left us alone after a couple of quick scouting runs, just leaves us with the Zerg being their usual sociable selves."

"That's good news. Any casualties?"

"Only among the Zerg. The Protoss have always retreated as soon as their shields went down and none of our boys have been exposed to fire long enough to take any injuries."

"Sounds like the plan's working so far then. Sarah had much to do?"

"Not so far, she's just been practising her sniping skills on any Zerg that come too close, racing the siege tanks to take them out. So far, she's winning."

"I can believe it, she's almost as good a sniper as you are."

I smirked. While lately I had spent much of my time overseeing battles rather than fighting them on the ground, I was a reasonable fighter in my own right, able to handle any of the weapons that my troops used regularly and a few more besides. By far though, my best skills were with long range shooting, although whether it was with a C-10 or a Yamato Cannon, or anything in between didn't really matter. It was because of this skill that Jim had given me the nickname 'Ranger'.

"Maybe once this is done, we should have a shooting competition."

"No thanks, I'm not shooting against you again, I've lost too much money already on that."

"Spoilsport," I grumbled, watching Sarah lead a team to the southern minerals, buildings quickly following her and SCV's moving to set up bunkers and missile turrets at chokepoints. I glanced at the mission clock, then activated the comm link to Sarah. "Two minutes slower than usual, Sarah. Want me to send down a bed and a glass of wine?"

On my display, I saw her look up at where the _Liberator_ was orbiting, obviously contemplating a long-distance shot, before replying. "No thanks, don't want you getting thirsty up there while I do all the hard work."

"Damn, I had a nice vintage to send you too. Guess I'll just have to drink it myself."

Her reply was extraordinarily unladylike.

Smiling, I muted the comm and looked at Jim. "Nice to see her coming out of her shell. Before I'd have received stony silence or a suggestion to be more professional. Not sure I want to know how you managed that."

Jim's shit-eating grin was firmly in place. "Don't ask, don't tell."

"Of course," I replied. "So how did you get on?"

"I talked to Matt Horner. He's ready to back us up if needed and got a few friends ready to do the same."

"Good, hopefully that will be enough."

Jim nodded grimly. "You think he'll do it?"

I knew he meant Mengsk. "I've got no evidence to back it up. But my gut says yes. I've had a bad feeling all day, even before the briefing."

Just then, Kerrigan's voice came over the comm. "Base is established, and battlecruisers are online."

I opened my own comm and replied, "Good work, begin mining the main base, bring all spare forces to the south base and move on the Protoss base, battle plan Delta-5."

"Understood," came the reply.

As I leant back in my chair, Jim commented, "And so it begins."

I nodded.

As Sarah slipped deep into the Protoss base and found the Protoss commander, I couldn't help but think that things were going too smoothly. Battle plans never survive contact with the enemy and yet, everything so far was going well. I had noticed that the Zerg were strangely quiet and I was keeping an eye on them but, at that point, I saw no real reason for concern. Looking at the view-screen that showed Sarah, I saw that both she and the Protoss commander had their weapons away and were talking calmly. I was starting to think we might just pull this off.

At which point, of course, an army of Zerg burst out from underground and began to charge at the main base.

Cursing, I slapped my comm, aware of Jim quickly moving up beside me to stare at the display. "Sarah, hate to interrupt but you've lots of Zerg incoming at the main base."

"How many?" she asked.

"Too many. Way too many. It's your call, but I suggest getting out of there."

She took a moment to look over the scans herself and then activated the general comm. "This is Kerrigan, a wave of Zerg is advancing on this position. We need immediate evac."

A sudden chill hit me as I realised that I'd heard those words before. The blasted dream I'd had the previous night had shown the exact same scene playing out. Suddenly, I knew exactly what was about to come.

"Belay that order, we're moving out."


	5. With the other hand

Mengsk's voice faded away, but the sheer fury I heard at those words remained. I moved to activate the comm to Kerrigan, only to see that the _Hyperion_ was blocking all communications to the surface. Mengsk knew Jim and I weren't going to just abandon Kerrigan and so had cut my ability to direct the battle to help her. Fine, I never planned on sitting still and waiting up here anyway. As Jim proceeded to rage at Mengsk over the comm, I sprinted out of the tac room and towards the _Liberator's_ cockpit. As I ran the 50m between the two rooms, I yelled instructions to Jess.

"Jess, battle stations. Spin up all systems and get us clear of the _Hyperion_. And start working on breaking through the _Hyperion's_ jamming."

"Understood," came the swift reply. "General Mengsk has given orders for the fleet to break orbit and move away from the planet."

Great, the bastard was determined to make sure an entire strike force was wiped out to kill one woman. Well, not if I had anything to say about it. Skidding into the cockpit, I slid into the pilot's chair as my co-pilot quickly transferred control to my station. One other thing I'd got quite good at was flying, and given that I'd played a key part in the design and construction of the _Stingray_ class, and specifically the _Liberator_ , I was easily the best person to fly it when she had to be pushed.

"Status report," I called.

"All systems are green, drives and generators at full power," my co-pilot reported.

"Ready to break docking with _Hyperion,_ " Jess added.

"Break the dock and give me a course for New Gettysburg," I ordered, swiftly checking that all stations had reported in.

"Dock seal broken," Jess replied.

"Course laid in," the navigator added.

I nodded, keying the engines up to full power and spinning the _Liberator_ around. I later learned that we had broken the seal with no more than a second to spare. Mengsk had guessed that I wasn't planning on staying put and had sent a squad of marines to try to stop me. They were just about to open our airlock when we left.

"Jess, transfer New Gettysburg data to the cockpit tactical display and tell Jim to get up here," I said, quickly bringing the _Liberator_ up to normal speed. At this point, there were no ships in our path, meaning I could employ full power to get moving. The _Liberator_ was practically unique, with speed and manoeuvrability not dissimilar to a Wraith, with not much less shielding and firepower than a battle-cruiser, with some experimental systems thrown in, all in a package about a third the size of a battle-cruiser. As a result, there were very few ships with a chance of being able to take the _Liberator_ on in an open fight. Unfortunately, a fleet was quite capable of it and one of the few ships that could...

"Sir, the _Hyperion's_ batteries are turning to target us!"

...was the one we just left.

Sarah's voice came over once more. "Ah boys, how ‘bout that evac?"

The communication specialist reported, "Sir, the _Hyperion_ is hailing us!"

"Put it on," I instructed.

Mengsk's voice came over the speakers and he did not sound amused. " _Liberator,_ you will return to your position immediately."

I snarled in reply, "When I have friends and troops under my command in trouble, Mengsk, _I don't walk away!_ "

"That was an order!"

Jim walked in just in time to hear me say, "Take your order and jam it sideways, Mengsk. I'm not letting you sacrifice an entire strike force, just to get revenge on one person."

"Commander, I'm warning you-"

I reached up and killed the connection to the _Hyperion_ , then opened a general channel to the fleet. "This is Commander Jason Davis of the _Liberator._ Raiders, form up on us and proceed to New Gettysburg. We've got a force to extract. Anyone else not willing to sacrifice good people are more than welcome to follow."

Jim stood behind me, "This is Captain James Raynor, Raiders, you heard the man. Let's get to work."

A new voice cut into the channel. "This is the _Cormorant_. Commander, we're ready to assist."

The _Cormorant._ Matt Horner's ship. A good man, and ship, to have on our side.

A second voice cut over the channel. " _Liberator_ , this is the _Thunder Child_. We've got your back. Give the Zerg hell."

I grinned. Seeing the Raiders fleet, plus the other ships supporting us turn to follow, I knew that we might just stand a chance. Then a laser round sped past the window, barely missing the shields.

"Sir, the _Hyperion_ is firing on us."

Yep, noticed that. But if Mengsk wanted to move things up a notch...

"Batteries 6 through 9, switch to disruptors and engage the _Hyperion._ Concentrate on their sensors, comms and engines, in that order."

The _Liberator's_ batteries were rather different to most terran capital ships in that they fired a less powerful round, but at a much higher rate of fire. As the shields of most capital ships were designed to deal with high impact shots at low rates of fire, and smaller ships relied on evading such rounds, this made the _Liberator_ very difficult to stand against. Still, chewing through the _Hyperion's_ armour and shields would take time, time we didn't have. But the disruptors weren't designed to _physically_ damage their target, just short out their electric systems. Which meant that it wouldn't take long to...

"Commander, the _Hyperion's_ jamming is off-line!" Jess reported.

As I opened the channel to Sarah, her voice came over the speakers again. "Commander, Jim? What is going on up there?"

"Sorry about that, Sarah. We've had some problems up here, the ones we feared. The _Liberator_ is in-bound for extraction, about 3 minutes out."

With the _Hyperion_ no longer an issue (being deaf, dumb, blind and drifting does tend to hinder a ship's combat ability) and the rest of the fleet either still turning to catch up or taking pot-shots at each other, I had a chance to look at the situation Sarah was facing. To say she was in trouble would be a grave understatement. The Zerg were swarming over the main base, mopping up the buildings that she couldn’t move. All the spider mines and automated defences were down, although if vision was still up...

"Sarah, get 5 nukes in the air and target the main base. Tell anyone left there to run for it!"

"Got it, everyone who was there has either left or is gone."

Sarah had also managed to mine the southern base and shifted most of her forces and structures to behind the Protoss lines. As I watched, her siege tanks were pouring fire into the Zerg assaulting the base, preventing them from getting close enough to charge the photon cannons favoured by the Protoss, while Wraith squadrons held back the enemy air forces and a pair of battlecruisers provided air support. The Protoss fleet was evacuating their own people, but I could see their commander fighting beside Kerrigan, the pair proving to be a highly powerful combination that the Zerg would have a lot of trouble with. But as soon as the Zerg dealt with the other two bases and massed against their lines, it would be game over. Time to do something about that.

"Jess, time to firing range on the Zerg?"

"Twenty seconds, Commander."

I smiled and unlocked the _Liberator's_ main battery. Eight high-powered UV laser mini-guns surrounding the cockpit began to spin. Designed for heavy sustained fire against heavily armoured targets, I'd used them just as effectively in an air-support role against ground targets before. Each gun was more than capable of shredding through any ground troops or structures, and the ability to aim and fire them independently meant they could cover a very large area.

Suffice to say, the Zerg were about to discover what hell looks like.

"Sarah, suggest you keep everyone away from the western front. It's about to get messy down there."

"What exactly do you have in mind?"

In answer, I lined up on a Zerg force preparing to charge that area and pulled the trigger.

Even though the _Liberator_ was still over 24km from the target zone, the 2 second burst was pinpoint accurate. The ground underneath the strike was somewhat warped and molten now, but still fared significantly better than the Zerg. Every single member of the Zerg force was vaporised, even the massive Ultralisks that were so dangerous to ground troops.

Sarah's voice came over the comm, somewhat shaky. "Ok, how long have you had _that_ up your sleeve?"

I grinned, "Why, you like it?"

She laughed, "Oh yeah. I like it. Now, how long can you keep that up for?"

Jim leant in and replied, "Long enough for you to get your pretty little arse on-board, sweetheart."

"You'll pay for that when I get there, pig."

I chuckled, "Ok enough with the flirting, we're on a tight schedule here everyone, get on board and let's get out of here."

"You got it, Commander. Anyone else coming to the party?"

Matt's voice came over the comm, "Kerrigan, the _Cormorant_ is on approach, we'll be ready to pick you up in 90 seconds."

"Appreciate it, Matt."

Pulling the _Liberator_ up to hover over the battlefield, I smiled. "All batteries, engage the Zerg at will. Hold them back until we can get everyone out of there."

While the rest of the _Liberator's_ batteries lacked the sheer power of the main battery, they all worked on a similar system and so all 12 batteries were easily capable of raining havoc on the Zerg. As I watched, the Protoss forces finished evacuating all but those on the front line. Seeing an opportunity, I called Sarah.

"Sarah, if the Protoss can cover us while we make the pick-up, we can extract their forces at the same time."

Sarah had a quick discussion with the Protoss commander and replied, "Sounds like a plan. Let me know when you're ready."

As I watched, both forces began to fall back from the Zerg as the creatures continued to throw themselves at the defences. Then several ghosts lined up targets and began to guide a group of nukes down onto the Zerg swarming in front of the base.

As the nukes struck, the _Cormorant_ began to lift off as Matt reported, "We're all full, sir. Better move fast."

"Understood," I replied. "Sarah, get ready for pick-up."

"Got it," she acknowledged.

Quickly positioning so that they could board, while still being able to provide cover fire for them, I told Jim, "You'd better get down to the loading bay, make sure they get on safely."

He nodded, racing out quickly. As the Zerg closed in, I concentrated on keeping them back long enough. Finally, I heard Sarah's voice over the comm.

"We're on, let's go!"

As I gunned the _Liberator_ off the mark and climbed for space, I had never been happier to hear anything.


	6. A Flash of Light

As we raced away from New Gettysburg, I looked at the Zerg swarming over where we had been just seconds before. At that point, it was easy to see that Sarah and the Protoss had been just seconds away from being overrun. If we had listened to Mengsk for just that bit longer...

"No use borrowing problems from the past when we have enough of our own in the present to deal with."

I spun around in my chair to look at Sarah. Blood ran down one side of her face, she was having difficulty with her right arm, and Jim was having to hold her upright. I didn't think she had ever looked better.

"Looks like you're ready for another round then." I said, raising an eyebrow.

She snorted, a mixture of pain and amusement on her face. "I'm alive, thanks to the pair of you. Right now, that's about all I care about."

"Only because you're trying not to lean on Jim, otherwise you'd be caring about something else."

"Good to know I'm good for something," Jim chuckled.

Sarah managed a smile before turning to a figure behind her, "Commander, this is Executor Tassadar. Executor, Commander Jason Davis."

I turned towards the Protoss standing in the shadows. "Good to meet you, Executor. My thanks for helping get everyone out of there."

Tassadar nodded graciously. Having no mouth, I guessed he would reply telepathically, and I wasn't disappointed.

_"En Taro Adun, Jason Davis. It is we who must thank you. Had you not gone against your orders and persuaded Friend Kerrigan to do the same, none of us would be here."_

I nodded grimly. "I take it Jim filled you both in on what happened in orbit?"

Sarah nodded, fury momentarily crossing her face. "I can barely believe that Mengsk was so keen to see me dead. I just hope that we don't run into him on the way out."

"No fear of that, most of the fleet's already left. All that's in orbit now is Duke, those on our side and the Zerg. Looks like Duke activated Tarsonis's Ion Cannon before they left though, so leaving is going to be something of a trick."

"Mengsk doesn't like us much, does he?" Jim put in.

"Not one -"

"Alert." Jess suddenly spoke. "Psionic energy signature detected. Approximately class 10."

A class 10 Psionic? The only one I'd ever encountered was Kerrigan herself, and she was so far ahead of the rest of humanity it wasn't funny. For there to be another...

"Show me where." I ordered.

A set of coordinates began blinking on my console. Turning the _Liberator_ towards them, I pulled up a visual and watched as several city blocks were vaporised. Silence ran though the bridge as we drew the obvious conclusion.

"You really want us to go there? Jim asked finally.

Pointing at the map, I replied, "It's pretty close to the Ion Cannon and we need to head that way anyway. I think we should at least take a look. If nothing else, someone is alive down there and after a flare like that, they've definitely got Duke and the Zerg closing on them."

"Agreed." Sarah replied. "It would be good to salvage something from this debacle."

 _"I will accompany you, if you wish,"_ Tassadar added.

I nodded. "We'd be honoured. Jess, find us a landing zone and tell the fleet to follow us down. They're sitting ducks up there. And prep my suit."

"Acknowledged."

The others all looked at me in surprise. I shrugged. "Might as well get my hands dirty. I've sat too many fights out, I'll get rusty soon."

As we set about establishing a base, Jim, Sarah, Tassadar and I walked over to look at the distant Ion Cannon. Seeing the two bases Duke had guarding it from orbit was one thing, but from close up, the situation looked challenging to say the least. Having the Protoss supporting our efforts would give us an advantage, but it was still going to be difficult, even without the realisation that the Zerg were closing on us as well. But, before we could even begin to worry about the Ion Cannon, we still had to find the mysterious psionic.

"You feel anything?" I asked Sarah and Tassadar.

Sarah gave a hesitant nod. "Something, they don't seem to be moving well though. But they are moving roughly in this direction."

I glanced back at the base, seeing it set up as well as was practical, I called Matt Horner over. "Matt, work with the Protoss and hold this position. Try and work out what Duke's boys are up to as well. We'll be investigating this psionic signature."

Matt saluted. "You got it, sir."

As he moved back to oversee the base, I turned to my three companions. "Ok people, let's see what we can find."

Jim and I, being the tanks we were, quickly took point as Sarah and Tassadar guided us in the right direction. Both of us had chosen unusual weapons; Jim wielded an M12 Penetrator sniper rifle in addition to his usual Gauss rifle and grenades. As for me, my Armoured Battle Suit was a step up from even the finest Marine armour and the Multi-Purpose Assault Cannons built into the suit were deadlier than almost any other small arm, with the exception of the modified M12 that was in one of my back holsters. The other held a weapon even more unusual in that few humans still carried _swords_ in this day and age.

Sarah shook her head. "I still can't believe you carry that thing."

"Don't knock it, this sword can cut through a Marine's armour like it's not even there. Plus, it never runs out of ammo."

I was used to people teasing me about carrying a sword. No one had continued to do so after seeing me use it. Suddenly, Tassadar held up a hand. _"I sense something."_

The three of us quickly took up covering positions as we waited for his analysis. Finally, he continued. _"There is a young Terran girl ahead of us who appears to be the psionic, but other Terrans are closing in on her."_

Moving up quickly, we came around the corner and saw her - a girl, about 19, with blonde hair running to just below her neck. Right now, she was on the ground sobbing. Her greater problem however was the 40 marines currently surrounding her. As one hauled the girl to her feet, I recognised her.

It had been 4 years since I last saw Nova Terra, when I had been assigned as the leader of her bodyguard team. I had been nearing the end of my career in the Confederacy military and was just happy to be getting away from some of the front-line action for a while. I had never been particularly happy with the actions of a lot of the Confederacy troops out in the fringe worlds.

Despite being a distant member of the Old Families myself, I never had much time for them, except for the Terras at that time. Constantino Terra was at least attempting to make changes to the Confederacy in order to improve it and his wife and daughter had been like any family throughout the sector, rather than thinking they had the right to everything. I had heard rumours of Nova having some psionic potential but had never talked to her or her family about it, knowing that keeping her out of the Ghost program was a very good idea.

Coming back to the present, she was struggling to stand, being held in the grip of the marine that had dragged her up. Right now though, my concern was the other marines that were currently levelling their weapons at us. At this point, I was in no mood to play nice. Exchanging a quick glance with Raynor and knowing that both Sarah and Tassadar would be able to work out what we had planned, I charged, deploying two of the hidden features of the ABS. The first was a set of tough but lightweight wings that were usually held collapsed under the weapons pack. The second was a pair of jump jets.

In the second it took me to cross the distance to the marines holding Nova, Jim had crouched and taken out half a dozen with the M12, before he switched to his Gauss rifle and fired as he was advancing.

Tassadar had caught another half a dozen within a Psionic Storm and was now firing lightning at the left flank.

Kerrigan's C-20A was landing devastating shots on the marines directly around Nova, while Sarah herself was also charging the line. The one holding Nova threw her to the ground and brought his weapon up to return fire.

Mistake no. 1. Never throw away a hostage.

Kerrigan sent a quick round through his head before he could even pull the trigger.

As for me, my MPAC's were ripping through the marines on the right flank. As bad as that was for them though, it got a lot worse at the end of that second.

Having a several hundred kilo pissed off soldier crash into you at high speed was a very good way to wind up dead, as two marines found out when I rammed their right flank. Landing on my feet, my guns were blazing, generally dealing out death and making a lot of noise. As I had hoped, the reaction of the marines was to turn and aim at me.

Mistake no. 2. Never take your eyes off an incoming threat.

Barely two seconds after I hit, Kerrigan psionically charged into the marines left standing around Nova, combat knife flashing and firing her C-20 one handed. By this point, I had drawn my sword and was in the process of re-educating the enemy soldiers on how to treat young women, one bisection at a time. Jim and Tassadar had also moved up and were finishing anyone Sarah and I had left standing. From start to finish, it had taken the four of us 20 seconds to drop a force 10 times our size. I smiled, glad to see that the three of us Terrans still knew how to fight as a team, and that Tassadar could undoubtedly hold his own.

Turning back to Nova, I was slightly surprised to see Kerrigan pulling Nova into her arms, attempting to soothe her and having some effect. Nova was shaking but she managed to get herself at least partially under control. I walked over, kneeling and opening my visor as I did so. Nova looked up and a flicker of recognition crossed her face.

"Jason?" She asked. "What are you doing here?"

I ignored the looks of confusion from the others and replied, "At the moment, trying to find a way to get off-world. We picked up a psionic flare on our way out and thought we'd better take a look. I assume that was you?"

She nodded. "I was on the ship to get evacuated, when I sensed threats surrounding Mum and Dad. So, I came back, but when I got there..."

I held up a hand, not needing her to continue. "I'm sorry to hear that. Your parents were good people, unlike most of the Confederacy."

I paused for a moment, letting her gather herself together again.

"Nova, are you up to moving? We can't really stay here much longer."

She nodded, allowing Kerrigan to help her to her feet.

"Nothing left here for me anymore, it will be good to leave this place."

Standing and opening a comm channel, I called Matt. "How are we looking?"

Matt's reply was quick and professional. "We've had some harassment but nothing major. I think we should just take a run at the Ion Cannon; we should be able to knock it out if we move fast enough. A ghost team has cleared an approach to it, and we've got a few nukes that we can use on it."

I considered for a moment and then nodded. "Agreed but tell them not to take unnecessary risks. We've found a survivor and are on our way back."

"Understood."

Turning back to the others, I told them, "Matt's ready to make a run at the Ion Cannon, we need to head back. There won't be much time to make our escape."

The others nodded and within 15 minutes, we were back and ready to move. As we arrived, Matt's voice came over the general comm system.

"All hands, Ion Cannon is down. Get everything packed up and ready to move out."

With Duke's forces also quickly beginning to evacuate, we had no issues with attacks as we left, even the _Norad II_ leaving us alone as we began the run up to enter warp. As soon as all ships reported ready, I instructed them to head for our agreed rally point. One by one, our small fleet jumped, the _Liberator_ the last to leave that god-forsaken system.


	7. Clearing the Air

As soon as the _Liberator_ was safely in warp, I gave orders for shift change to be carried out early, given the day we'd had. It would be at least 24 standard hours until the combined fleet reached the rendezvous point, so everyone would have a chance to unwind after the horror day. Unfortunately, I had more than a few issues to deal with before I could rest myself, and one of them was expecting me as soon as I stepped out of the cockpit. Sarah and Jim were waiting just outside the door and one glance told me they weren't there just to say hello. Sighing, I waved for them to follow me. None of us spoke a word until we reached the tac room. Locking the door, I turned to face them.

"Ok, shoot."

Sarah and Jim exchanged a look, before Jim asked, "So how is it that you not only know the probable heiress, but you also knew the _head_ of one of the Old Families?"

"It's a long story."

The look Sarah gave me was not encouraging. "We seem to have a fair amount of time on our hands."

I hesitated. The fact that I had once been in the Confederacy was no secret to the two of them; each of us had been part of the Confederacy at one point and we all knew it. They even knew that I had retired from the Confederate military as a . But my direct link with the Old Families, regardless of how distant, was something I had never shared with anyone in the Raiders, particularly since I had no desire to be associated with any of them – especially my own, the Tygore family. Changing my name before I enlisted, I was determined to earn my own place. In addition, it was likely that Mengsk, despite being a member of the Old Families himself, would not take kindly to me revealing my background. The Terra's had been one of the few to know my true history, Nova's father working it out even before I was assigned to protect Nova, although he had been very understanding and even helped me keep everything hidden. But even if I wasn't inclined to tell Jim and Sarah, the odds were good they'd find out before the end of the day anyway.

Leaning back in my chair, I told them the whole story. My lineage, my history, why I had left it all behind, my experience with Nova and why I was keeping all of it from them.

Both Sarah and Jim were quiet for a long time before Jim spoke. "That is quite a story."

"Tell me about it." I replied. "This isn't how I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't risk it with Mengsk around, and we haven't exactly had much spare time since we split from him."

Sarah finally spoke. "So, any other little secrets in your closet we should know about?"

I looked at her. Anger was plain to see on her face and she was barely managing to keep herself under control. Holding her gaze calmly, I replied, "No. You know everything about my past now."

Standing, she looked at me, no trace of understanding or compassion in her eyes. "I hope so." She said quietly, then turned on her heel and walked out.

I sighed. "Well, that went well."

Jim nodded. "It's a hell of a lot to take in at once. But she'll be fine."

I raised an eyebrow. "And you?"

Jim smirked. "I knew that there was more to you than everyone knew. It must have cost a lot to build this ship, especially the way you have and without anyone finding out how it works. I figured you had a good reason for not saying anything, and I was right."

A wave of relief hit me. At least one of my closest friends was accepting of everything I had done. "You don't know what that means to me."

Jim chuckled. "Maybe. Leave Sarah to me, I'll talk to her. What are you planning to do with Nova?"

"Talk to her first. But I imagine she'll have to stay with us for a while. That's going to be another interesting conversation. Not sure how she'll take me joining a rebel group, but guess I'll find out."

Jim nodded and stood. "Good luck."

Walking into the med bay, my mind was still focused on the discussion I'd just had and particularly Sarah's reaction to it. I had hoped that she would be more understanding of my reasoning. It was disappointing to find her so hostile, although not altogether surprising. Her hatred of anything to do with the Confederacy was legendary – again, given what they had done to her, not a major surprise. I could only hope that I had more luck with Nova. She was sitting on one of the beds, waiting for the medics to finish running whatever tests they were doing. As I approached, I heard one of them say "Well, my dear, you seem to be perfectly fine. I don't think there is any point keeping you in here."

I smiled as Nova thanked them with passion, clearly keen to escape. Standing, she turned towards me. "So, can I just say that you were perhaps the last person I expected to show up then? I didn't know you were anywhere near Tarsonis."

I grimaced. "Yeah, it's a long story. I'll fill you in, but not here."

She glanced at me, a speculative look in her eyes. "Why do I get the feeling that this is not going to be easy to hear?"

"Probably because it isn't." I replied, walking towards my own quarters, rather than the tac room. I wanted privacy for this conversation, especially since Nova was likely to react about as well as Kerrigan had.

Nova was looking increasingly concerned as we walked. "I haven't seen you look this serious for a very long time." She said slowly.

Keying open the door; I ushered her inside. "Yeah, well everything's been turned upside down so many times I have trouble keeping up." Gesturing to a seat, I waited until we sat down to continue. "Last thing you heard, I was on Mar Sara, right?"

At her nod, I went on. "We got ordered by Duke to move everyone out to the wastelands when Chau Sara got attacked. We found small patches of Zerg out there but had no idea what they were at the time. After a while, the Zerg launched an attack on us. Duke told us not to worry about it, but Jim, the guy you met earlier, and I knew they wouldn't get there in time. So, we took a strike force out, managed to stop them. We found a command centre covered in... something. We're still not quite sure what it was, but the Zerg had obviously taken it. When we destroyed it, Duke arrested Jim and his boys. When the Zerg launched a major attack on us, Duke told us they weren't going to help. The only people that were willing to extract everyone were the Sons of Korhal."

"The terrorist group? And you took them up on that offer?"

"It was that or watch everyone die."

Nova was silent for a moment and then said, "I guess I can understand that, but still. They're terrorists, murderers, barbarians."

"Their leader definitely is, though I only worked that out for certain earlier today. But most of the rest of them are just ordinary people that have lost too much to the Confederacy. Out in the fringe worlds, Nova, things have been bad and getting worse for a very long time. Your dad was about the only leader that was trying to change that, but he didn't have much luck."

I noticed her wince at that.

I continued. "Anyway, once we got out of there, we got Jim and took what data we could find. Mengsk sent us to Antiga Prime, to help the colonists revolt. Jim and I linked up with Kerrigan, you met her earlier too, then we managed to take control from the Confederates. Duke was in orbit at the time but the Zerg forced him to crash land not far from us. Mengsk ordered us to rescue him."

"Wait a second. He ordered you to rescue a Confederate _general_? Was he mad?"

"Most of us thought so, but Mengsk thought he would make for a powerful ally. I guess he was right, but I didn't trust him an inch."

"After Mar Sara, that's no surprise."

"Right. Anyway, things got worse after that."

"How?"

"The Confederates found us. They set up inside our perimeter and began their attack. Mengsk had apparently managed to decipher the data we took on Mar Sara. He said the Confederates had known about the Zerg for some time and had devised a means of luring them to a location. They had been luring the Zerg into several places as weapons tests, apparently Mar Sara being one of them. What we stole were the plans for the device used to do so, a Psi Emitter."

"Please tell me you didn't..."

"I wish I could. Mengsk ordered Kerrigan and I to plant one in the middle of the Confederate base and used the chaos to escape before the Protoss wiped everything out."

Nova was silent, but the look of horror spoke volumes.

I said quietly, "Nova, it's not a decision I'm happy about, or one that I can look on with pride. But at the time, we had little room for escape any other way and direct orders to place it. None of us were happy and we all made it clear to Mengsk."

She looked at me. "Jason, I'm not blaming you in the slightest. I just have trouble believing that all that my father strived for could result in something like this. This is not something I can believe he would have done. Using another race as weapons against his own people? That isn't -"

I interrupted. "Nova, I don't think he would have played a part in this. It's against everything that he stood for. He argued against the nuclear strike on Korhal, he would have played no part in this."

"I hope so," she replied.

We stayed quiet for a moment before she said, "That still doesn't explain how you got to Tarsonis."

"Duke and I led an assault on Tarsonis's central platform to clear out the defences. What no one knew except Mengsk and Duke was that the intention was to place Psi Emitters on the platform once the defences were down. The rest of us were furious to say the least."

"My god. The Zerg were _lured_ here by Mengsk to destroy the Confederacy? I can't see how this gets any worse."

"I'm afraid it does. When the Protoss turned up, Mengsk flat out ordered Kerrigan and I to destroy them before they took out the Zerg."

Nova's expression had long gone past horror.

I gave her a tight smile. "By that point, I was getting very suspicious of Mengsk's intentions and even Jim and Sarah were starting to wonder. I managed to talk to them before the mission started and we agreed to try talking to the Protoss first. You saw how that turned out."

Nova nodded, a small smile beginning to reappear.

I went on. "Part way through the talks, the Zerg began rushing both positions and Kerrigan called for evac. Mengsk _refused_."

"What?"

"He told us to leave, I think he may have even sent marines to try and take control of my ship to stop us. When we did leave, he tried shooting us down, but he didn't count on so many of his people not being willing to follow him anymore."

"He was willing to leave Kerrigan and an entire task force to the Zerg?"

"When we found them, our boys and the Protoss were fighting back to back. I don't think they would have lasted more than about another minute and that was only because we gave them something else to worry about. As it was, we got out of there just in time to see your little display and Duke activating the Ion Cannon. The rest you know."

Nova was silent for nearly a minute. I could see her struggling to keep her anger in check. Finally, she spoke.

"I want in."

I blinked. "What?"

"You heard me. That bastard has taken everything I knew and turned it to ashes. I want to see him die. Preferably at my hand."

"Get in line; I think Kerrigan has the first shot at him, with Jim, me and the rest of our people as well as the Protoss all wanting a piece of him. But-"

"You don't think I'm strong or old enough, do you?"

I grimaced. "No, I think you are capable of it, but that doesn't mean that you should. In any case, bringing Mengsk down right now isn't going to work. Regrettably, we'll have to wait for our chance. Plus, the Zerg are a bigger threat right now. But if you're determined to do this, then you are going to need some training and skills before you're ready."

Nova's face was made from steel. "Count on it."

I nodded. "Welcome to the Raiders."

After showing Nova to her quarters, I went back to the tac room, finding Tassadar waiting for me. Nodding, I greeted him.

"En Taro Adun, Tassadar. What do you think of our little ship?"

Tassadar chuckled. _"I have never seen a Terran ship with such Protoss attributes."_

That confused me slightly. "Protoss attributes?"

He laughed. _"This ship is both functional and flawless. Most Terran ships are far more utilitarian than their Protoss counterparts. I feel as at home here as on my own. Not to mention that you have quite the hidden striking power."_

I smiled. "I see no point in warning an enemy of what they will face until necessary. As for the rest, a comfortable crew is an efficient one. And I'd pit them against any crew in the sector and expect a decent show if not an outright win."

_"Good. That is as it should be. What do you plan on doing next?"_

"First things first. See how many people made it out, then work out what we need to do. After that, I think the Zerg are going to need to be our focus. Mengsk will have to keep."

_"Agreed. They are a threat to all who live."_

"No arguments here. What about your plans?"

_"Right now, I am effectively exiled from my people, but that does not mean that I can ignore their needs. I will continue to scout for the Zerg, try and work out their next plans. But what you have done today, I will not forget. If you require my aid, I will come."_

"I appreciate that. Please let me know what you find. The Zerg won't stop until we are all dead. I'd rather fight together than see us fall piece by piece. If you need us, just ask."

_"I will, friend Davis. Get some rest, I fear we will all need it soon enough."_

"Yeah," I replied. "Things are going to get worse before they get better, I think."

Finally, I had a chance to return to my own quarters and get some rest myself. But there was one last surprise for the day. When I opened the door, Kerrigan was waiting. Her anger hadn't faded.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to return."

As much as I liked and respected Kerrigan, my battle senses went on high alert at seeing her.

"Things to do, people to see. Can I help you with something?"

She stepped closer. 

This was about _Nova?_ My face hardened.

"Whether you like it or not Sarah, she is a friend of mine, as much as you and Jim. Her world has just been turned upside down, something I think you can relate to very well. You were happy to be the kind person that I know you are before. I can understand why you might not like her, but neither she, nor her family for that matter, are the monsters that I think you believe they are."

The only warning I had was a slight whistling as Sarah's hand shot towards my face. If I hadn't been expecting it, I would have been out for the count. Leaning back, I watched it miss by no more than a few millimetres. The anger on my face matched Sarah's now.

"You're pissed off at me because I'm connected with them as well? Never mind the fact that I've spent my life trying to get away from anything to do with the Old Families, except the Terras I'll grant you. Never mind the fact that Jim and I have pulled your arse out of the fire more times then I care to remember. If that's how you feel, then you can get out. I'll get you on another ship as soon as we reach the rally point."

Somewhere in that tirade, something must have got through to Sarah, as her face was beginning to soften, and tears were starting to run. By this time, however, I wasn't prepared to listen.

"You heard me. Get out."

Slowly, Sarah turned and walked out. I could see the pain and hurt in her movements but despite guilt beginning to sink in, I was still furious enough not to call her back. As the door closed behind her, I told Jess, "Jess, I don't want to be disturbed for anything short of a major catastrophe for the next ten hours."

"Understood, Commander."

I turned out the light and waited for sleep to come.


	8. Dealing with the Aftermath

_Heat._

_Fire._

_Zerg._

_A thundering voice._

_Despair._

* * *

Sleep had not been the restful activity that I had hoped. Glancing at the clock, I realised I had barely managed to get two hours in the last day and a half. Jess's voice came over a private channel on the comm set up beside me, meaning I hadn't woken by myself.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Commander, but Sarah Kerrigan is attempting to access your quarters."

"Define 'access'."

"She is hacking the door controls."

Sarah _hacking_ into my room? This didn't bode well.

"Give me 90 seconds, then let her think she succeeded."

Surprising a Ghost was extremely difficult, but I had two advantages. Firstly, of course, was that I knew Sarah was coming, even if I didn't know why. Secondly was the fact that the _Liberator_ was equipped with Psi-Screens which could be activated ship wide or room by room. I usually preferred to sleep with mine off-line, but after the last few days, I wanted some privacy in my head, so I'd activated the screen in my room. These together meant that Sarah would have no idea I was waiting for her, not until she physically sensed me, or I let her know. Moving quickly, I rigged up a dummy in the bed, grabbed my pistol and waited out of sight. Barely 5 seconds later, the door slid open and Kerrigan slipped in. She moved quickly but quietly to sit beside the bed and simply waited. Looking at her, her body language spoke of anguish and despair. I decided to take pity on her, after all, she had just had the day from hell.

"Exactly how long were you planning on sitting there?"

I've never seen anyone jump so badly. Ok, so maybe I wasn't taking _that_ much pity on her.

Flicking on the lights revealed Sarah's expression of shock and horror. "How long have you been there?" she nearly screamed.

"Only a few seconds, actually. I barely got set up and out of sight before you finished hacking my door."

She did have the good grace to look ashamed. "I'm sorry about that but when Jess told me you weren't to be disturbed, I assumed that it meant you just didn't want to talk to me."

"And you were determined to talk to me anyway? Without waiting? Must be serious." I sat down and looked at her. "So, what is important enough to hack my door at 2 o'clock in the morning?"

"I talked to Nova."

That was not something I had expected, although thinking about it made me realise it was quite logical. But I still wasn't going to make her life easy just yet.

"I thought you wanted nothing to do with that 'spoilt brat'."

"I thought over what you said about her and I. And while Jim and I know you quite well since we met, I imagined that she would know you better, especially earlier on. I was curious, I know that you are a reasonably good judge of character and you were arguing in her favour quite intensely. It was something I thought I needed to do."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Ok, maybe there was more to it than that. When we... finished our discussion, I realised that you had a point about Nova. You taught me that first impressions are rarely wrong, and I did like Nova before I knew who she was. Once I had a chance to find out more about her and her family, I realised that judging people by their name, instead of their actions, is a great way to make a lot of mistakes."

As I switched off the Psi-Screen, I grinned to myself. Sarah admitting mistakes? Who was this woman and what had she done with Sarah Kerrigan?

"I heard that," she growled.

"Good." I replied. "I wouldn't want to have to repeat myself."

Sarah couldn't hide a smile at that. "You usually use a Psi-Screen?"

"No, but there's a lot to think over right now, it was supposed to help. Besides, with so many ghosts on the ship, and my head being the mess that it is, it seemed best."

"What do you mean, your head’s a mess?” Sarah asked.

I shook my head. "Long story and I don't want to talk about it right now."

She reached out and took my hand. "I'm sorry for how I was yesterday. When you are ready to talk, I'll be waiting."

I smiled at her. "I appreciate that."

Just then, Jess's voice came over the comm. "Commander, we are ten minutes out from the rally point."

Standing, I replied, "Thanks Jess. Bring us to full readiness. I'll be up shortly."

Sarah had stood too and was looking at me. "I'll get Jim and meet you up there." Stepping in close, she gave me a kiss on the cheek and a firm hug. "Don't let anyone change you, Jason."

"Never give up, never give in. That's my motto." I whispered back.

As I settled into the pilot's chair, letting the system reports wash over me, I was thinking over what had happened in the last few days. Between the invasion of Tarsonis, the debacle at New Gettysburg, linking up with the Protoss to escape and rescuing Sarah and Nova, it had been a busy period. Assuming that I was able to sort through all of that, there was still working out what to do about Mengsk and the Zerg, how to keep the forces we had functional and expanding where possible and working out how to coordinate with the Protoss. After all of that, I still had these blasted dreams to work out.

As Jess began the countdown to arrival, I settled back into the present and concentrated on what needed to be done. As we dropped out of warp, sensors quickly confirmed that we had no unexpected visitors. The _Cormorant_ dropped out just ahead and right, while the _Thunder Child_ dropped out in a similar position to the left, with the rest of the Terran fleet arriving behind the _Liberator._ Below us, the Protoss fleet also quickly emerged, forming up into battle positions.

"All ships report safe arrival, Commander." My comms officer reported.

"Get the fleet into geostationary orbit." I ordered. "Inform the captains that there will be a fleet-wide conference in 2 hours."

Turning to Tassadar, I continued, "Executor, I'd be honoured if you and your commanders wished to attend as well."

Tassadar nodded. _"I will inform them immediately. I will return to my ship and make the necessary arrangements."_

Bowing, the Executor was surrounded by a blue glow as he warped back to his own ship. As he disappeared, Jim shook his head as he entered the cockpit. "Not sure I'm ever going to get used to that."

"I know what you mean." I replied.

Behind him, Sarah and Nova looked out the viewport at the frozen world below us. Nova asked, "So where exactly are we?"

"Kaldir. It's on star charts but no one has been crazy enough to colonise it. It's a safe point for us at the moment and I don't plan on staying long."

"Bit of an unusual place, don't you think?" Sarah commented.

"That's the idea. No reason for anyone to come here."

With the fleet having a chance to do some quick repairs and testing now that they did not have to use their engines for more than orbit stabilising, things got busy very fast. Fortunately, the _Liberator_ had taken very little damage at Tarsonis, so we were one of the first to finish. All, however, managed to have their captains available for the conference in time. As I began to upload the tactical data, I recognised several of the captains and XO's, Matt Horner among them as well as the _Cormorant's_ captain, Michael Adams. Also represented among our number were Tassadar and several of his lieutenants.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, before we can begin discussing our immediate plans, does anyone have any concerns we should address?"

Silence greeted my question, normally a good sign with the people here. If there was a problem, the group gathered here would voice it loud and clear.

"Right. In that case, we need to work out exactly how we can best counter Mengsk and the Zerg."

"If that's what we're planning, then we need a lot more people and ships." Adams objected.

"Yep, and we know just where to get them."

Sarah took over. "It appears that Mengsk is sending a sizable portion of the fleet, including the _Norad II_ , to the Dylarian Shipyards for repairs and refitting. It's an ideal chance to relieve Mengsk of many of his ships and put them to better use."

More than a few whistles could be heard at this. Stealing the ships would be a major coup for us.

Jim spoke up next. "Obviously we will need a lot of people to run them, as well as being able to operate on the ground. Mengsk also appears to be sending militias that object to following him to be imprisoned at New Folsom. Liberating them and some of the other prisoners would give us the people to run our operations."

That was a very difficult task. I had done several stints at both Dylar and New Folsom and was well aware of the defences at both bases. But while an army might be able to breach the shipyards, it would break like water on rock at New Folsom. Kerrigan would be a must for that operation, and likely Jim and I would have to land personally as well.

"That's not going to be easy, sir." Captain Katherine Ryan of the _Athena_ said, echoing my thoughts.

"True, but we probably have a good enough team to pull it off. Plus we have a few tricks up our sleeve." I replied. "In addition to those operations, I want to send a detachment to assist the Protoss in their hunt for the Zerg. For all of these, we need better intel than we have. There is a large degree of confusion right now, but it won't last forever. We need to move quickly but not necessarily straight away."

 _"If I may interrupt?"_ One of the Protoss commanders said, who I remembered had been introduced as Master Selendis, despite being female.

"By all means."

_"Executor Tassadar has requested Master Tamsir and myself to remain with you to assist in whatever way possible. Among Tamsir's forces are a large number of Observers, similar to your Science Vessels, although they are without offensive functions or crew, but with a permanent cloak. These would be ideal for scouting out the targets I would imagine."_

Grinning, Jim replied, "Definitely. We'd even be able to leave them in place for the attack."

I added, "Agreed. Much appreciated, Master Selendis. So, we need teams to recon both the shipyards and New Folsom. Captain David Morris, you will lead the Dylar scouting team with the _Ouroboros_ while Captain Katherine Ryan leads the team to New Folsom from the _Athena_. Master Tamsir, if you could please provide a squad of observers to accompany each task force, I'd appreciate it. I expect regular reports from each of you."

As I gave the orders, I was sending private messages to Adams, Matt, Captain John Collins of the _Hammer_ and Master Selendis, requesting them to remain when the others were dismissed. As each of them nodded, I continued.

"Captain Chris Jackson, I'm sending the _Thunder Child_ and the rest of your task force to assist Executor Tassadar. Assist in their operations and evacuate any civilians in the path of the Zerg, if at all possible. The rest of the fleet will be taking up positions so we can strike at both targets in as short a time as possible. Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads as I had hoped. It was after all a simple enough operation at this point.

"Very well. I want everyone to be under way in 4 hours. Dismissed."

As the Captains' images began to wink out, those I had asked to remain waited. Quickly sending a message to ask Nova to come in, I turned to Collins. "Captain, the _Liberator_ and _Cormorant_ will not be accompanying the rest of the fleet, nor will Master Selendis and her forces. If anyone asks, we are conducting intel gathering runs to establish the degree of resistance to Mengsk and his rule."

"Understood, sir. Do I want to know where you'll actually be?"

"Probably not at the moment. I leave the fleet in your good hands until our return."

"Yes sir."

Collins' image faded just before Nova walked in, looking slightly confused. Turning to the remaining people present, I continued.

"The reason I asked you to remain is that there is another possibility for acquiring ships and personnel that I want to explore."

Bringing up the tactical display to show a deep space station, I began to explain. "This is _Terra Firma_ , a classified mobile shipyard that was operated under orders from the Terra family. Most of the Confederacy and the Old Families are not aware that the station even exists. The current commanding officer of the station is an old friend of mine, back from when we were both assigned to the Terras. I'm hoping that, with Nova's help, we may be able to convince him to join us."

"Seems like a lot of effort to go to for us to secure one station. What's so special about it?" Matt asked.

Nova answered, "The station is at the forefront of ship technology. They have several highly experimental ships and systems there. Their researching and production capability is among the best that can be found."

I continued, "It's where I designed the _Liberator_ and where she was built. At the very least, I imagine there will be some more _Stingray_ -class gunships in dry dock there, although I think there will be a lot more than that."

"Does Mengsk know about it?" Sarah asked.

"I don't believe so, but I can't be sure, hence why I'm keeping this information so restricted. Even so, he'll learn about it sooner or later."

 _"So why do you wish my assistance?"_ Selendis asked.

"If all goes well, we won't need to call you. But if they are under attack or start shooting at us, then we'll need a lot of firepower, and I can't be sure that Mengsk hasn't slipped a spy into our forces. I need people I can trust for this."

"But you trust them enough for the other ops?" Jim asked.

"While they are important, they aren't as sensitive as this, and they don't know that much about them anyway."

"So, what's the plan? We just show up and ask to talk?" Nova asked.

"Unless you have a better idea. Selendis, I'll need your forces to wait at the outskirts of the system and only come in when we're ready. I don't think it will help our cause if we show up with an obvious Protoss fleet."

 _"A fair point."_ Selendis agreed.

"Sounds like a plan." Sarah said. "Let's go get ourselves a shipyard."

Watching as the rest of the fleet warped out to their various destinations, I was happy with the way that we had covered our tracks. We had warped out ahead of the fleet, but only travelled a few million kilometres, before moving out of the way of the rest of the fleet. It wouldn't be until the main fleet reached the assembly point that our absence would be discovered, far too late for anyone to attempt to follow us. Opening a channel to the remaining ships, I instructed, "All ships, set course for the Braxis system and proceed exactly 12.34 light years. At that point, Selendis, your forces need to drop out of warp, while the _Liberator_ and _Cormorant_ continue on for another 1.5 billion kilometres."

Acknowledgements were quick to arrive. Jim, looking over the Navi-Com, turned to me with an expression of shock. "The _Shiloh_ system?"

"Thought you'd recognise it quickly enough."

"Why would you park a top-secret Confederate base there?"

"No one's looking for it. Like I said, it's mobile so it's not like it stays there."

"In fact, it was in the Sara system until the Zerg showed up." Nova added.

"Now you're kidding. The Sara system?" Sarah asked.

"Why not? No shortage of resources there and not much reason for people to be travelling through every part of it. I knew quite well that not everything that system produced was accounted for. That's because it went to _Terra Firma_." I replied. "It also made sense at the time to have it there, since I knew about the station, and could help cover the tracks more easily."

"You know this sounds almost insane."

"As insane as what we've had to do to get this far?"

"I said _almost_ insane."

I grinned. "Well, it's only a short jump, so get ready guys."

The jump, as promised, took very little time and soon enough Selendis and her forces dropped out, ready to back us up if needed. 90 seconds later, the _Liberator_ dropped out, the _Cormorant_ barely a second later. Ahead of us was empty space.

"So where is it?" Jim asked.

"Cloaked, I imagine. Standard procedure." I replied. "Jess, transmit code sequence Delta-12 directly ahead at our lowest power setting."

"Beginning transmission."

We waited as we continued cruising ahead.

"Well, well, well. What did the cat drag in this time?" A voice suddenly said over the comm.

"I know that voice." Jim said quietly.

I glanced at him, slightly surprised, then turned back to the open comm. "The latest news-feed, Colonel, or have you actually been listening to the news?"

"You know I can't be bothered listening to that crap." The voice over the comm dropped several degrees in temperature. "You got a lot of balls showing your face around here again."

"And you know damn well that I wouldn't without a damn good reason. Maybe you should get out and about occasionally. A lot has changed."

"Oh aye, you abandon the Confederacy, turn your back on everything you gave your life to, and show up working for that bastard Mengsk."

"Believe me, it's not one of my finest decisions. But it was right at the time. If I hadn't, then everyone on Mar Sara would have been dead. If it wasn't for Raynor and I-"

"Raynor? You’re working with that son of a bitch too?"

I blinked, then glanced at Jim. "You two know each other?"

"Yeah." Jim replied. He stepped forward and spoke into the comm. "Hello Butler, been a long time."


	9. An Old Friend

"Raynor." Butler hissed. "Come to give yourself up?"

I held up a hand to stop Jim's angry reply, even though I was curious about the history between the two men. "Colonel, can we put that aside for a minute? There's a lot at stake right now and we don't really have time for arguments."

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't blow you out of the sky."

"Have you ever known me to exaggerate about a threat before?"

There was silence on the other end.

"The Zerg are in the process of wiping us all out, and even if they don't, we have Mengsk running things now. We both know that he will be just like the Confederacy, only without the heart. Our best chance right now is working together."

Again, silence was the response. Finally, Butler spoke. "All right, I'll clear you to land, but only the  _ Liberator _ . That friend of yours stays out there."

"Got it."

"Follow the beacon into Bay 94. I'm sure you remember the drill."

I snorted. "Of course. You won't regret this, old friend."

"We'll see," came the cynical reply before the comm was cut.

"Well, that went well." Nova commented.

"Yeah." I replied, bringing the  _ Liberator _ around onto the bearing provided. "You guys read all that?" I asked Adams.

"Yeah, we got it. You sure about this, sir?"

"Doesn't look like we have much choice. Stay alert. I don't expect trouble, but it doesn't hurt to be careful."

"You got it."

As I cut the comm, we passed through the cloaking shield, getting our first look at _Terra_ _Firma_. To say the others were impressed was an understatement. But then, given the station was roughly the size of a large asteroid, that was not exactly surprising.

"How the hell was the Confederacy able to build something like this without people knowing?" Sarah asked.

"By keeping it away from everyone. It's really quite amazing how empty space is." Nova replied.

"You would have thought that the resources and manpower needed to build and run this place would make someone pay attention." Jim argued.

"Sure. But you give everyone a false trail." I replied. "One of the first systems they brought online were the engines, followed shortly by the cloaking systems. Ever since, they were moving the station all the time. No one ever realised that they were going to the same station. Not to mention that much of the station was automated even during construction and supplies were collected by a transport rather than being taken to the station directly."

"Clever. Still makes me mad considering the resources this took that could have been used elsewhere, but clever."

"At least we might have a chance to put it to good use."

As we landed inside Bay 94, I could see troops assembling outside. I turned back to Sarah and Jim.

"You might want to suit up. No reason to take chances."

"Right." Sarah replied before both Jim and her turned to leave.

"Nova, I want you to stay inside for the moment. I'd rather not put you at risk." I said, looking at her seriously.

She glared at me but didn't object.

As soon as the  _ Liberator _ was down, I walked to the cargo ramp, meeting Jim and Sarah there.

"You’re not suiting up?" Jim asked.

I shook my head. "Don't want to appear too spooked or threatening. Not like I'm going unarmed though."

As the ramp lowered, I walked down it, Jim and Sarah flanking me. At the base stood Butler, with a sizable squad of marines guarding him. To no-one's surprise, he spoke first.

"So, you actually are working with Raynor. I wasn't sure you could sink any lower. How did you end up teaming up with him anyway?"

"He was one of my marshals on Mar Sara, he's helped me save a lot of lives. Mind explaining to me how you know each other?"

"You mean he hasn't told you?"

I looked at Jim. He grimaced before speaking.

"Before I came to Mar Sara, I spent a lot of time on the run after the Confederates stitched me up. Butler was perhaps the most determined of my pursuers."

"Pity you had to rely on others so much." Butler spat. "I put your old pal Tychus in New Folsom, but I'm sure they can find you a cell next to him."

Jim's eyes flashed, but it was Sarah who spoke next.

"I'd be careful about who you threaten."

"And who are you, his current bit of skirt?"

I couldn't help it, I laughed. "You do know you're pissing off the deadliest Ghost ever, right Colonel?"

Butler's eyes narrowed as Sarah's glare focused on him. "You're joking. You got  _ Sarah Kerrigan _ to join up? I thought she was loyal to that bastard Mengsk."

"Getting abandoned tends to make you question a few things." I replied.

"Abandoned? You're one to talk. You turned your back on everything-."

"It was that or watch people die, people that I was responsible for. Tell me that you would just walk away."

"There's a reason we have the law, it's what separates us from the crooks, like that friend of yours there."

"Leave Jim out of this." I spat.

"Oh, I don't think so. I'm going to enjoy putting him away." Butler smiled.

Without any conscious thought, I stepped in between Jim and Butler, Sarah mirroring me.

"Then you will go through us." Sarah said, weapon at the ready.

Butler's marines raised their own weapons. For my part, I kept my hands free. I wasn't keen on provoking a fight.

"Are you really so blind, Colonel? Focussing on petty grudges while the sector burns?

"He's a criminal, so are you now. It's that simple. I'm sorry old friend, but I have no choice."

"Sarah, Jason, please." Jim interrupted. "Just-"

"Just what?" Sarah snarled. "Just let him take you, kill you? After all we've been through together? I don't think so."

Before anyone could say anything, a flash of energy threw Butler and his men back. I spun, looking at Kerrigan, only to see her wide-eyed and stunned. I realised that she hadn't done anything. But then who...

"Enough!" Nova's voice suddenly shouted.

Ah. So that's who. But how had she gained enough control to do that?

Turning, I could see her walking down the ramp, fury blazing in her eyes and every step taken showing the aristocrat that she had been born. Butler had frozen at the sight of her. Frankly, I could not in all honesty blame him. Her voice rang with anger and every word stabbed deep like a dagger.

"After everything the two of you have been through, Wilkes, you're ready to just turn your back? Following orders is fine and dandy, but when it gets people killed, you should be questioning them. Sometimes, you have to stand up for what you believe. When did you last believe in something other than orders?"

Butler was stunned. Finally, he managed to speak. "Nova, what are you doing here?"

"You mean, aside from kicking some sense into your arse?"

I intervened before either could go off any further. "We picked Nova up on Tarsonis."

"What, you kidnapped her?" Butler snarled. "Have you forgotten how decent a man Constantino is? You-"

Nova stepped forward, placing a hand on my chest, which was probably just as well. I was perilously close to losing my own temper.

"If it wasn't for these three, I'd be as dead as my family." She said, clearly having trouble controlling her own anger.

Somehow, those words sunk into Butler's skull.

"Wait," Butler said. "Your family's dead?"

"Yeah." Nova said, her anger fading.

"How?" He breathed. I was curious myself, Nova hadn't told me exactly what had happened and I hadn't wanted to ask. But then, Butler was less diplomatic than I was.

"A group of rebels broke into our house, with help from Edward Peters."

That name I recognised. Peters had worked for the Terras while Butler and I were part of the security team. We knew that he had been a lover to Nova's mother, whom neither of us had respected quite as much as the rest of the family. But neither of us had had much to do with Peters, although we hadn't been impressed by him either.

"They cornered everyone, then executed them. I got there just as they killed Dad." Nova managed to get out.

"But then how did you survive?"

Nova wasn't capable of answering, so I replied. "She used her psionics unconsciously, levelled everything within about 4 blocks. We saw it as we headed for the Ion Cannon, decided to investigate and managed to find her just before Duke's men took her."

"Duke?" Butler asked.

"Long story."

He looked at me seriously before waving for his men to lower their weapons. "We seem to have some time."

It took around an hour to go through precisely what had happened in one of the private meeting rooms, but at the end, Butler was finally convinced that we had made the right choice. He was furious about Duke though. "Wish you'd left that son of a bitch to die."

"Would have loved to, but Mengsk was pretty clear. Didn't really have the option and didn't have the time to kill him when we left." I replied.

"Fair enough. So how did Raynor end up working for you?"

"About the time you got called back into the military, Mike Hammond, my predecessor, cleared Jim's record and appointed him as a Marshal. I never saw a reason to replace him, he did a damn good job. Never had to draw his gun on the job."

"Have to say I was relieved when I heard you were called back to service though, Butler. Didn't fancy running into you every year." Jim smiled.

"Can't say I blame you. I don't trust you, Raynor. But since both Jason and Nova do, I'll wait and see what happens. And hope that I don't regret it."

Jim nodded. "Good enough for me."

Butler turned back to me. "So, I'm assuming you're planning on teaming up together."

I nodded. "The Zerg are burning a swath through the sector, Mengsk is hunting down everything that is a threat to him or that he can use. We need people and resources; you need someone who can help defend you. Sounds like a good match-up to me."

"Me too. So, what do you need?"

"Did the  _ Stingray _ project ever get off the ground?"

"Sure did. Got the go-ahead 8 months ago. Two are ready to enter service and 12 more are well on their way, within weeks of completion."

"Good, that will give us an edge. What else have you been up to?"

"You remember the  _ Temeraire _ and  _ Thylacine _ projects?"

My eyes widened. Both projects had just been suggested when I retired. The  _ Temeraire _ was a massively upgraded siege tank, while the  _ Thylacine _ made all battle cruisers look like toys. Both were very expensive units, however, and I couldn't see how they could have been approved.

"You know I do."

"We got orders to move them to the prototype stage a few months back. The  _ Temeraire _ is about 2 weeks from completion, while the  _ Thylacine _ is going to be at least a year. I actually heard rumours they were going to get you to test run them."

"News to me, I could never see how they could get through the bureaucracy."

"Well, somehow they did. Evidently, enough money changed hands."

"Something to think about. In the meantime, let's get the  _ Stingrays _ ready to deploy and you'll need to relocate again, I think."

"Always something, isn't there?"

Nova snorted. "As you'd have it any other way."

Any reply was cut off as the station's battle alerts flared into life. Butler raced for the comm, while I keyed my own for the  _ Cormorant _ . "What's going on out there?"

Matt's voice came back, and the news wasn't good. "Sir, we've got incoming company."

I spun to look at the tactical display Butler had just brought up. Sure enough, there was a mountain of signals heading straight for us. One glance was enough to see who was here.

The Zerg. In force.


	10. And An Old Enemy

Spinning around, I asked Butler, "How long until you can get to warp?"

"An hour, at best," was the reply.

Looking at the tactical display, we didn't have half of that. Then it struck me. The  _ Cormorant _ had to be out of range of the Zerg sensing abilities. So, what had them completely ignoring Shiloh and its forces and coming straight for us?

I shook it off. As important a question as it was, there was no time to consider it right now. Remembering the open link, I ordered, "Matt, launch your fighters, get the  _ Cormorant  _ on board and get the civilians off and anything else you can. When she goes back out, I don't want you on it. We've got a pair of  _ Stingrays _ here that are ready to fly and I want you on one of them. I'll send Lieutenant Wythes to meet you."

Matt quickly acknowledged and signed off as I turned to Sarah and Jim, two of the only people with experience flying a  _ Stingray _ . "Think you two can handle the other one?"

A grin crossed Sarah's face, despite the seriousness of the situation. "What kind of a question is that?"

I grinned back. "Alright. Butler, can you get someone to show them to one of the  _ Stingrays _ ? I'll leave my co-pilot behind to show Matt to the other one."

He nodded grimly. Calling to Nova to follow, I took off at a sprint, contacting Jess as I went. "Jess, get the  _ Liberator _ spun up and everyone to battle stations. Tell Wythes that I want her and Matt flying one of the new Stingrays. She needs to meet him when the  _ Cormorant _ lands."

"Understood, we'll be ready to lift as soon as you arrive."

Not wasting time or energy acknowledging, I switched channels. "Selendis, do you read me?"

Her telepathic voice came back gratifyingly quickly.  _ "Loud and clear, Commander. I assume you have seen the Zerg." _

"You might say that. What exactly are we looking at?"

_ "Our sensors detect several massive organisms, larger than any of our ships. Scourge and mutalisks are spawning from them at speed. Overlords are massing ahead of them. So far, they seem to be concentrating only on your position. The planet's defence forces are launching but they are so far ignored by the Zerg." _

So, we were definitely the target. But why? "Have you been detected?"

_ "If we have, the Zerg are completely ignoring us too." _

"That's unusual in the extreme. All right, hold your position for the moment and if you can, see if you can quietly contact the Terran forces on Shiloh. They may be willing to help and we need everyone we can get."

_ "As you wish." _

Selendis's reply came just as Nova and I ran up the  _ Liberator's _ ramp. As promised, Jess had the ship ready to lift as we raced into the cockpit. With my co-pilot absent, I directed Nova into the co-pilot's chair as I slid into the pilot's seat. She at least had flying experience and some shooting skill, and right now, I needed someone who was able to keep up. As the  _ Liberator _ lifted off and out into space, I keyed for a tactical display and ordered the fighters to launch. What I saw wasn't good news: half a dozen of the massive organisms Selendis had mentioned, which I designated as “leviathans” on the display. Ahead of them, overlords were spreading out, while scourge and mutalisks were pouring out of the leviathans. At the moment there were about a thousand scourge and six hundred mutalisks, but more were emerging all the time.

"Jess, how long until we intercept the Zerg?"

"The Zerg forces will be on us in 15 minutes 40 seconds."

"Estimate total Zerg forces deployed by that time, assuming current rate of deployment."

"Zerg forces will most likely consist of 6 leviathans, approximately 4,000 scourge and 2,400 mutalisks."

Against that, our best case situation would give us 3 battlecruisers, 3  _ Stingray _ -class gun-ships, the  _ Cormorant _ (while a capable warship, it was still a refitted merchant ship),  _ Terra Firma _ itself and 40 squadrons of wraiths, if the local defence forces would team up with us. We also had Selendis's dozen carriers, and 20 squadrons of Scouts. The few Science Vessels and Observers that we had might help to spot threats and the Science Vessels had some mild offensive functions, but they wouldn't really be able to help much. It wasn't hard to see we were outnumbered very badly. That was something we would have to remedy very quickly if we were to survive for any length of time. The most obvious threats were the massive leviathans, constantly spawning Zerg flyers to reinforce those already deployed. If we could take the leviathans out quickly, we would stand a chance. Seeing the two other  _ Stingrays _ emerging and deploying their own wraiths, with the station's fighters coming up behind, I began to organise the fleet into an attack formation.

" _ Stingrays _ , take up triangle formation. All fighters, form up by squadrons on the  _ Stingrays _ , cross X formation."

What this resulted in was the three  _ Stingrays _ holding positions in the corners of a triangle, each with 8 squadrons of fighters trailing back, giving each ship room to both fly and fight, but allowing for the entire fleet to mass fire against a target. So far, the Zerg were not particularly massing in front of the leviathans yet. Time to punish them for that.

Just then, Selendis's voice came back over the comm.  _ "Commander, the Terran defence forces have agreed to assist. They are heading for your position." _

"Tell them not to warp into range until I give the order. When I do, I want both of you to hit their rear flanks. Make it a short, sharp stab, do not stand and fight, just do some damage and jump back out."

_ "Understood." _

Continuing, I gave orders to the fleet. "Full power to forward shields. Fighters, prepare for point defence.  _ Stingrays _ , bring all forward batteries to bear on targets designated as leviathans and set for maximum damage. Stand by to slave targeting and weapons systems to the  _ Liberator _ . All ships, maintain course and speed until otherwise ordered."

The acknowledgements came back quickly, although Sarah and Matt were somewhat confused, not understanding exactly what I had in mind for them. I smiled, that was fine with me.

"And Jess?"

"Yes, Commander?"

"Get me a Lynx."

"Commencing calculations."

Nova looked at me in confusion. "A Lynx?"

A Lynx was an unusual battle tactic that I had devised when the Stingray project first got serious, since the Stingrays didn't have Yamato Cannons. Focusing fire on a single target was a long utilised firing technique, but Lynx took it a step further. The idea was based off an old astronomical technique that allowed astronomers to see more faint objects by linking telescopes over distances to simulate a much larger telescope. Lynx took the idea and turned it around. By using multiple laser cannons all focusing on the same point to create a single beam, the resulting damage and range from the strike was equivalent to that of a much larger laser strike, far more than the sum of the original laser strikes. I had experimented with the idea when I first got the  _ Liberator, _ but I’d never had the chance to expand it to include multiple ships.

The problems with it were difficult, although not impossible, to overcome. It required not only highly precise shooting, but also precise timing and flying that was just as demanding. The position and speeds of the ships that were involved in creating the beam had to be known at all times, and the beams needed to meet at precisely the right moment for the effect to work. It also required a large amount of space and was best used against targets that were large, slow or non-moving, or at least at right angles to the beam. Such situations were exceedingly rare on the battlefield, but since the Zerg had gifted us an opportunity, it would be crazy not to try it. For it to really work, a powerful AI coordinating the attack was required, and both firing and targeting systems on the ships involved had to be slaved to a single ship with the AI. Right now, thankfully, both of those preconditions were available.

I smiled at Nova. "You'll see."

"I get the feeling I'm going to like this."

"Yep, I think you probably will."

We waited as Jess ran through the calculations; it took time, one thing we were rapidly running out of. Finally, she reported, "Calculations complete. All ships are slaved to firing control. Lynx is ready to fire."

I grinned. "Designate leviathans as primary targets and shift fire as required. Engage at will."

The Zerg were in for one hell of a shock.

On all three  _ Stingrays _ , the batteries that could bear on the leviathans, 8 per ship, sent out a single burst of fire. Each was quite powerful individually, but when they all met up, they became significantly more deadly. For each ship, the direction the merged beam took was essentially the same as the subsidiary beams, so there was more allowance for the timing. When these beams from each ship met however, the timing was far more critical as the desired direction was much more different. With Jess running things however, everything worked perfectly. All of which meant we had a front row seat to some major fireworks.

The combined beam stabbed towards the Zerg, a group of scourge being unlucky enough to be directly in its path. They were vaporised instantly, without the beam losing any real power. The beam continued to cut through the Zerg forces until it reached the target leviathan. I wasn't sure exactly how much armour that monstrosity had, but it was instantly clear that it wasn't enough. Not  _ nearly _ enough. The leviathan was completely blown away by the beam, although the beam did run out of energy in the process. Utter shock filled the cockpit and the channels, and even the Zerg seemed taken aback. I smiled. It was nice to see something work, although even I hadn't expected it to be quite so effective.

It took around 20 seconds for the cannons to be capable of firing in such a manner once more and the result was just as spectacular the second time around. Finally, the Zerg seemed to wake up and respond, all of them speeding up, the leviathans all forming a single file and increasing the rate in which they launched flyers, with the rest of their forces staying as far away as possible. They knew now we would take the leviathans down long before we came within their range, so they were trying to ensure they had as many forces left to hit us as they could. They were also spreading out further, obviously attempting to avoid presenting such a tempting target. It was also interesting that they were not attempting to retreat, suggesting that they were particularly interested in something. No real time to work out why now.

The leviathans were destroyed after a few minutes, but they had managed to launch a sizable force of smaller flyers, still sufficient to outnumber us, although the odds were a lot closer. So, time to change tactics again.

"Jess, release control of the  _ Stingrays _ ."

"Yes, Commander."

I opened a channel to the fleet. "Good work. All ships, ready missiles and prepare for close engagement. Selendis, you are cleared to engage."

_ "Understood. Thanks for the opening." _

"Our pleasure."

Jim's voice came over the comm. "Exactly how long have you had  _ that _ up your sleeve?"

I grinned. "It's been rattling around in my head for a while, but that was the first time I put it into action on that scale. Why, you like it?"

Sarah's voice came back, "Ah yeah, we like that. Pity we didn't get to pull the trigger though."

"Ask Selendis nicely and she may leave you something to shoot." Jim chuckled.

"Don't worry about that, I think there's going to be more than enough for everyone." I replied, watching as Selendis's combined Terran and Protoss fleet jumped the Zerg from behind. The Zerg were clearly still confused and dismayed by the sudden turn of events but they were still managing to quickly turn to deal with the sudden assault. Even with their numbers being far less than they hoped, Selendis wasn't going to be able to do much damage to them. Still, she'd be able to break their momentum towards us, which might just be enough.

Maybe if we could keep them turning...

"On my mark, all ships are to jump to within 2km of the Zerg and fire full salvoes. Be ready to jump out again on my signal."

I waited a few more seconds, allowing the Zerg to commit to battling Selendis and fully turning away from us.

"Mark."

Nova hit the warp switch, jumping us forward. Within a second, we had come well within firing range of the Zerg. The sudden hesitation was obvious, as the Zerg realised that once again, they had a threat behind them. But, in between Selendis's interceptors and scouts reaping havoc and the Terran battlecruisers and wraiths unloading hell, they also had to deal with forces in front of them. So far, we hadn't taken losses, but a prolonged engagement would change that.

"Fire all missiles, target the scourge first. Selendis, be ready to jump out."

_ "Understood." _

At the moment, we are all holding back from breaking the Zerg lines, we needed to trim their numbers first. Keeping them off balance was key, which meant hit and run attacks for the moment. The missile salvoes were breaking them up and doing damage, but sooner or later the Zerg would mass and charge one of us, at which point, everything would have to change.

"Selendis, jump now."

With a flicker of motion, Selendis and her Terran allies jumped away, leaving the Zerg with nothing in front of them. Surprisingly, they also jumped away.

"Selendis, you see the Zerg near you anywhere?"

_ "No, Commander. They didn't turn and charge you?" _

"Seemingly not."

What did they have in mind? Zerg never fled from a fight, so if they weren't here or attacking Selendis, where were they? Unless...

"All ships, jump forward for a half second, then reverse course."

Quickly, each of the ships moved forward, the  _ Liberator _ was the last and about to jump when a call came over the channel.

"Hey, wait for us!" That was Adams’ voice.

Glancing at the scanners, I saw that the  _ Cormorant _ had at last arrived, having unloaded its passengers and cargo. I also saw a large number of warp signatures appearing behind it, far too big and numerous for the wraiths that might have been accompanying it. It took no more than a second to understand and another two to key the comm.

"Adams, get out of there!"

As I yelled at the comm, the Zerg raced out of warp, appearing directly behind the  _ Cormorant.  _ A flight of Scourge immediately veered towards her.

"Incoming!" Nova's voice called.

The rest of the Zerg were heading for us. I glanced at the displays again and the horrible truth hit me.

The Zerg had cut us off from the  _ Cormorant _ so we couldn't help them escape. Having just emerged from warp, they would also need a few seconds to reset and charge their drive. But the Zerg were already too close for them to have the time.

There was no way to save the  _ Cormorant. _

Adams had come to the same conclusion. "Get out of here, sir!"

There was no choice, but that didn't mean it was easy to make it.

"I'm sorry." I replied, reaching for the warp switch.

Even as I pressed it, and the  _ Liberator  _ leapt forward, the scourge rammed the  _ Cormorant. _ All I saw was the multiple detonations, replaced by the blinding flash when the mighty ship, with all of her loyal crew, was atomised as its drive exploded. The colourful display usual to warp travel replaced that scene through the viewport, but the image remained seared into my brain.


	11. Now It's On

As the  _ Liberator _ emerged alongside the rest of the fleet, I tried to push away the thoughts of the  _ Cormorant _ . Getting distracted now would be fatal, but trying to control my anger was harder in those seconds than it had ever been before. Seeing the rest of the ships already turned around and ready, I knew we would have to turn quickly, since the Zerg would be right on our tail. It was just as well the  _ Liberator _ could handle it. Taking the controls from Nova, I spun the  _ Liberator _ end for end, balancing the drives so we wouldn't flip out of control. Half skidding through space, the  _ Liberator  _ came around just as the Zerg emerged. My eyes narrowed. I knew that an angry person couldn't think clearly and an angry commander would get their people killed, but right now, fury was burning through my veins. If the Zerg wanted a fight, they were about to have one to remember.

"All ships, close engagement. Selendis, come in on our flank."

Suiting words to action, I threw full power to the drives, giving Nova control of the main battery. The flying that was going to be needed here was going to be tricky and I wasn't trusting my ship to anyone else for this. One thing was very obvious in the next instant. The Zerg did not expect  _ us _ to be charging  _ them _ . They actually flinched back as they realised we weren't waiting for them to come to us. Could they tell just how furious we were or had no one ever charged at them before? I wasn't sure and didn't care. There and then, revenge was all I was interested in. Some part of me recognised exactly how dumb an idea this was but I was having a lot of difficulty controlling my anger. Then over the comm, I heard a roar of anger as Matt realised exactly what had happened to his ship.

"Jason?" Nova said quietly.

There was a note of concern there that I had never heard before, in all the years we'd known each other. Between the two, the haze of red that had been shrouding my vision and mind cleared. The anger still burned but I could push it back under control, use it to help rather than hinder. Glancing at the displays, I keyed the comm. "Matt, take the Wraiths and go up the middle. Sarah, you and I hit the left flank. Selendis, take the right."

As the last of my anger drained back into where I held it, I began to focus back on the Zerg as a tangible enemy rather than a target. Matt would calm down eventually, just as I had, but right now his grief and anger was far too raw for him to be able to focus. Keeping the Wraiths around him would give him the best chance of inflicting the damage that he needed, and I needed him to do. Selendis had enough fire-power to keep the Zerg wary and, from what I had seen of her, she would give as good as she got, or better. As for Sarah, Jim and I, we would at least be able to give the Zerg a hell of a headache. I expected the Zerg to mainly concentrate on Selendis, given how much hatred existed between the two races. So it was something of a surprise to see what happened next.

"Sarah, take a look at that formation and tell me if I'm seeing things."

There was a sudden sharp breath from Sarah. "You mean most of the Zerg turning to take the pair of us on?"

"Yeah. That."

"Looks real enough to me." Jim replied.

"Agreed." Sarah added.

So, a pair of _ Stingrays _ against a Zerg invasion force. This should be interesting.

"Split and come back?" Nova asked.

"Works for me. Sarah?" I asked.

"Got it."

Sarah and Jim raced away to port, while we banked to starboard. The Zerg split to chase us, as expected. But most chased after Sarah, which was not as I had thought or expected. Something in the back of my mind was trying to get my attention, but I couldn't spare the time then. Nova's hands were flying over the controls as she unleashed hell with the main cannon. Looking at the displays told me that the rest of the crew was doing an excellent job of clearing out the Zerg. Despite having most of the Zerg force on their tail, Sarah and Jim were doing an incredible job of inflicting damage while avoiding taking damage themselves. Selendis was successfully stabbing into the Zerg lines, while not exposing herself to more fire than necessary, and the Terran ships alongside her were doing a good job of hemming in the Zerg to prevent them from using their agility to escape her trap. My biggest concern was Matt and his force of Wraiths. So far they had not taken significant damage, but that was only because of the fact that the Zerg was not attacking them in force. Matt was still letting his anger dictate how he fought, and soon it was going to start costing a lot of lives. I opened a private channel to Matt's earpiece.

"Matt, I know you're pissed at the moment, but you need to dial it back a bit. Keep going the way you are and a lot more people are going to die. Then the  _ Cormorant _ will have died for nothing."

"How dare you-"

"How dare I? You're going to end up killing us, Matt! This is going to be dangerous enough as it is. If you keep letting your anger tell you what to do, then we are all dead. Save your anger Matt. We need it, but we need you in control more."

There was a pause over the channel, enough for me to concentrate on flying more. It was just as well that I knew the  _ Liberator _ so well, because I was forced to take her close to her theoretical limits.

When Matt spoke again, he was noticeably calmer and more like I was used to. "Alright sir, but we are going to talk about this after we're done here."

"Agreed." I signed off, listening to him beginning to direct the Wraiths more efficiently. Another glance told me it was time to sort things out for Sarah and Jim.

"OK Sarah. Smugglers reverse on my mark, followed by head to head."

"Ready when you are."

Taking one last look, I saw the  _ Stingray _ Sarah and Jim had about 4 clicks nearly dead astern of us and leading the Zerg away from us. It was now or never.

"Mark." Snapping the  _ Liberator _ around again but this time leaving the engines in reverse for a little, we suddenly presented the Zerg with our main batteries and the best part of our fire-power. Their formation broke apart, but not quite fast enough to save all of them. Through the resulting gap, I gunned the  _ Liberator _ , heading straight for Sarah, who had just performed the same stunt. Both formations of Zerg swung in behind us. Finally, something was going as planned. Within seconds, the Zerg on Sarah's tail were within our range.

"Hit it." I ordered. Nova grinned, and opened up with the main battery. Hitting the Zerg all around the  _ Stingray _ without damaging the  _ Stingray _ itself required both pilots and gunners to be very skilled and daring. Fortunately, that was one thing we had in abundance. The Zerg obviously didn't expect us to go for such a crazy stunt, although given how many we had pulled in this battle, it was something that they really should have got used to by now. As the two  _ Stingrays _ whipped past each other with metres to spare, the Zerg had obviously been hit hard. A low whistle came through our minds.

_ "That was something special. Destroying 20% of a Zerg assault fleet in a single manoeuvre, I have never seen anything like it before." _ Selendis said, disbelief evident in her mental voice.

"What can I say, we're professionals." I chuckled.

Nova interrupted. "Jason, I'm reading a large warp signal coming in."

"Great, what else can they be throwing at us now?" Jim complained.

"You're really going to complain about us saving your ass?" A new voice came over the comm. "And they made you a Marshal? They must have dropped their standards."

_ Butler _ . I had rarely been happier to see him, even if I didn't particularly like that he was putting a lot of lives and the single biggest advantage we had at risk to help us. Before I could key my own mike, Nova cut in.

"Are you guys finished mucking around? Think you jokers could hit something?"

Grinning, I joined in. "You heard the lady, shoot something. Matt, Sarah, Selendis, form up on us. Let's bottle them up. Wraiths, form up with the station. Let's finish this."

Caught between the hammer of the  _ Stingrays _ and Selendis's fleet, and the anvil of _ Terra Firma _ and the wraiths, it didn't take long to finish the Zerg completely. The price had been high, however. In addition to the  _ Cormorant _ , we had lost two full squadrons worth of Wraiths from our own forces. Butler had lost a similar number of fighters, while the planetary defenders had lost a battlecruiser as well as a dozen fighters. Even Selendis had not emerged unharmed, with a pair of carriers very badly damaged and all of her other capital ships sporting various degrees of damage. Her fighters had fared better than our own but they had still lost half a dozen before the Zerg were destroyed. Understandably, it was a rather sombre group that assembled on Shiloh an hour after the battle ended. Everyone was feeling the weight of what had just happened and the grief of those we had lost. Matt was among the worst affected and he was shooting glares at me from time to time. Another problem to deal with, but it would have to wait. Right now, the leaders of Shiloh were walking up to meet us, and I recognised one right away. A quick glance at Jim told me he did too.

"Mike Hammond. I wondered if you were to be found here." he said.

Hammond grinned and shook Jim's hand, then mine. "Soon as I heard that the Zerg were attacking and something looking suspiciously like the  _ Liberator _ was in the area, I figured it had to be you two. We was in the process of scrambling our forces when we got Selendis's message, mentioning that you were preparing to fight them. Didn't need to hear any more than that, though I'm surprised to see you teaming up with them." He quickly looked at Selendis, "No offence, Master Selendis."

_ "None taken. I can well understand why you might be reluctant to believe that we would join forces. I'm just glad that you came to our aid so quickly." _

"A bit of self interest there, I'm afraid. Once the Zerg finished with you, they would turn to us and we wouldn't stand a chance. It made sense, although mentioning these boys helped." Hammond replied, pointing towards Jim and I.

I explained to those not familiar with our history. "Jim and Mike are old friends, and Mike ran Mar Sara before I got the job. We got to know each other quite well." I turned back to Hammond. "My condolences on those you lost, Mike. They were damn good people."

Mike turned away to watch the rest of his forces land. "Same to you, Jason. You guys are the only reason a lot more lives weren't lost, and it's not like you came away without a scratch."

I grimaced, the image of the  _ Cormorant's _ destruction filling my mind once more. "Yeah. We all lost a lot of good people. Now we have to make it so that they didn't die without reason."

Mike turned back to me. "Agreed. So, not that I'm complaining, but what brought you all the way out here at just the right time?"

I waved towards Butler. "Heard the Colonel here was still out this way, thought I might be able to convince him and his boys to join up."

"Yeah, well the Zerg kind of made up my mind on that count." Butler grumbled.

I could see that Hammond didn't completely buy it, but that he understood we needed to be circumspect about what exactly we were up to. "So what now? I assume you can't stay."

I shook my head. "What parts of the sector aren't on fire yet soon will be. We don't have the forces to stay and defend Shiloh and we need to do a lot more things than we have time or resources for. If it's possible, we may be able to help repel an assault if it becomes necessary but that's as much as I can promise. For what's it's worth, I don't think the Zerg will return any time soon. Mengsk will probably be the next to show up here."

"Not that that's much of an improvement."

"No, but he won't be looking to start a fight either. Really, just keep your head down and pay him the lip service you have to, he'll probably leave you alone for the most part. But watch him like a hawk. He took all of us in and we nearly worked it out too late. We'll help where we can, but-"

"Yeah, lying low is the best thing right now. For all of us."

"Wish we had that option. You may want to blame the battle damage you suffered on us when he shows. Gives him more reason to trust you."

Mike stared at me. "I'll take that under advisement."

I nodded, not expecting him to take it that well, but it needed to be said. "Sorry Mike, but we'd better get moving. Too many questions are going to get asked if we stay for much longer."

Mike nodded and held out his hand. "Take care, all of you. See you around."

It didn't take long to get back into space, and not much more to coordinate what forces we had into a jump. The only thing not coming with us was  _ Terra Firma _ , which was going to find another location to set up shop, although Butler would continue to coordinate with us. I left the relief crew to conduct the jump and head for the rest of the fleet and headed for the tactical room. Nova followed, not saying a word until the door closed behind us.

"What's up, Jason?" she asked quietly.

"You mean aside from all the people we lost today, because I made a rookie mistake?"

"What, you let your anger get the better of you, or you didn't expect the Zerg to turn up?"

I stared at her. I'd forgotten she was this perceptive, although I knew part of it was her psionics. A raised eyebrow told me that she heard that. I chuckled.

"I really need to avoid getting into arguments with psionic women."

Her glare intensified. I sighed.

"You're right, of course. While my anger getting out of control was a problem, it wasn't hard to solve. But I should have planned for the Zerg showing up. I should have left the  _ Cormorant _ on the station. I-"

Nova silenced me. "You couldn't have left the  _ Cormorant  _ behind, we may well have died without it. They sacrificed themselves so we could get away. If we hadn't, a lot more people could be dead. As for planning for the Zerg showing up, you did. Leaving Selendis behind was our insurance against an attack, from anyone. You couldn't have planned on how to deal with the Zerg any more than you did for anyone else."

"But about all the  _ Cormorant _ got to do was draw the Zerg away from us and get blown up."

"And if they hadn't, it might have been us and then everything would have been very different. Wouldn't it?"

"Yeah I guess. Still doesn't make me feel any better about it though."

"You made a mistake. Happens to everyone."

I started to pull up the recording of the battle. "Maybe. Doesn't mean I can't learn from it though."

Nova put her hand over mine. "Take some advice for once Jason. Leave it for tonight. You've been running on next to no sleep for way too long. Look at it in the morning. It can wait that long."

I hesitated. I knew that I needed to look at the battle objectively and I needed a clear head to do that. But I wasn't sure I could afford the time to wait for that. Nova noticed and her glare hardened. I sighed, admitting defeat.

"OK, fine. I'll get what sleep I can. Jess, I want this ready to run first thing in the morning."

"As you wish, Commander."

I smiled wearily at Nova, realising just how tired I actually was. "Thanks Nova. You did good today." A damn sight better than good, but I didn't want to boost her ego too much.

"I heard that." Nova grinned, walking out the door. "Night, Jason."

Returning to my quarters, I opened a ship-wide channel. "All hands, you already know this, but you all did a hell of a job today. Nice work everyone. Make sure you take some time to unwind, I think we're all going to need it. Davis out."

Suiting words to action, I collapsed onto the bed and was asleep almost immediately.


	12. Good News and Bad News

_ A pulsating shape. _

_ A hidden figure. _

_ A voice. _

_ "Listen." _

These dreams were starting to become highly annoying. Glancing at the clock, I realised I had at least managed to get a fair amount of sleep. At least there was some good news with which to start the day. Getting up, I tried to think over what these dreams meant, if they did mean anything at all. Logic said that they meant absolutely nothing. But then logic held that psionics couldn't exist and the dream I had right before New Gettysburg had clearly shown the events leading up to the battle.

I had never been much of a spiritual or religious person, so I didn't hold with a higher power or predestination. But I did accept that some things were out of our understanding. This might be one of them, and it was becoming obvious that I had to work it out soon. I'd probably need some help though, and the only likely way I was going to be able to get it was with the help of a telepath. Maybe one of the Protoss, but more likely Nova or Sarah.

I froze as a thought hit me. It was absurd but...

I raced out of my quarters, sprinting for the tac room. I noticed Nova's door open as I passed but didn't stop. As I skidded into the tac room, Jess greeted me.

"Good morning, Commander."

"Morning Jess. Is that replay ready to run?" I replied, busy at the controls entering commands.

"Yes, sir. What are you entering this for?"

"A little analysis I'd like you to do. OK, start the replay."

Nova came in behind me as I finished. "What's going on?"

I held up a hand, asking for silence as the replay started. I wanted to be sure before continuing. As the replay ran, I watched closely, hoping to see some degree of sense starting to emerge from the chaos. As the replay finished, Nova turned to me.

"What exactly was that all about? You go tearing through the corridors like there's no tomorrow and-"

"Something occurred to me that I needed to check."

"And it had to be done right now?"

"If I'm right, then it may make a lot of difference. Knowing what the Zerg are after is fairly important after all."

"We know that already, don't we? They were after  _ Terra Firma _ ."

I raised an eyebrow. "Were they? Then why did the station escape completely undamaged and without taking a hit? And how did they learn of its existence in the first place?"

Nova blinked, considering the information. "So, if they weren't after the station..."

"What was their target? That's what I came to find out. I have an idea, but I needed to be sure."

"So, what were they after?"

I brought up the recording once more. "You tell me."

We watched the recording again, Nova playing a lot more attention this time. When it finished, she turned to me.

"It has to be something that we had in the battle. One of the  _ Stingrays _ , perhaps?"

I smiled, impressed at the good guess, although it was short of the mark. "Not a bad guess, but I don't think so."

"Then what?"

I grimaced. "Not what I suspect, but who."

The silence that filled the room was quite incredible. The blank shock on Nova's face was a look I had never seen before on her. The idea that the Zerg were pursuing a person rather than an asset or position came as quite a shock to her. Even though I'd come up with the idea, I was still having trouble adjusting to it.

"What the hell makes you think that?" Nova finally managed to ask.

"The Zerg have never been that interested in technology. Why would they, given how quickly they evolve? So it's most likely that they're after someone in particular."

Nova paused to consider that. "So then who would..." She froze, an idea clearly running through her mind. A look of horror crossed her face. " _ Sarah? Me _ ?"

I had considered the idea of Nova being the target, but I didn't think it was likely before and even less so now. "I don't think they're after you. Sarah's got to be the target. I'm sure of it. They kept going after her in that battle, but they were aiming to disable, not kill. They want her alive."

"You can't be sure that they're after her."

I turned back to the tactical display. "Jess, you finish that analysis?"

"Yes, Commander. It's a perfect match. No possibility of a mistake."

I nodded and turned back to Nova, my expression grim. "That settles it. I got Jess to compare Sarah's mental signature with what's broadcast from a Psi Emitter."

"And they match." Nova said, her face falling.

"Yeah. You imagine what the Zerg could do with her if they managed to take her? A battle-trained PI 10 Ghost, with the powers and under the command of the Zerg? That's a thought that is scarier than almost anything else I can imagine."

Nova nodded, her face showing the same horror and despair that I felt, now that the thrill of discovering new information was fading. We both stayed silent for a moment.

"OK." I said. "Nova, you and I are going to pull together everything we have, see if there are any other possibilities. Jess, signal to Jim and Sarah I want to meet them as soon as we arrive at the rendezvous point. Also signal Selendis, ask her to join us. We go to battle stations 5 minutes before arrival. For the moment, we keep this to ourselves. We still have to work out how much to tell people about what happened to the  _ Cormorant,  _ and about  _ Terra Firma _ , for that matter. This would be adding too much to that mess."

"And we only have a few hours to do it in." Nova commented.

"Yeah, nothing like a challenge to keep things interesting."

As we worked, I asked Nova a question that had been bugging me.

"So how exactly did you manage to throw Butler and his boys back like you did?"

Nova smiled. "The night you picked me up, Sarah came to see me after you turned in."

"Yeah, she mentioned she'd spent some time talking to you that night."

"We did spend some time talking but after a while, she decided that I should have some control over my psionics, for everyone's sake. She taught me a few things, including some pointers on defending myself psionically and using telepathy. Apparently, I'm a quick study. She and I can communicate pretty well over a distance and I'm able to control a small amount of psionic energy effectively. But she was as surprised as everyone when I threw Butler back. She didn't expect that."

I smiled. "You were watching that conversation telepathically, weren't you?"

"It seemed like the best idea at the time."

"I agree. It certainly calmed things down quickly."

Nova stared at me. "You knew I'd be watching."

"I expected you to ask Jess to relay it rather than using telepathy, but yes. You were always going to be the best chance of getting Butler to listen to us."

She smiled. "Still a master tactician, huh?"

I shrugged. "Some people I understand very well, and when you understand people, it's amazing what you can do. But I do try not to be cruel about it."

"And you succeed."

I smiled gratefully. "When we meet up with the fleet, if both of you are willing, I'd like you and Sarah to keep training. I might see if Jim can help with some training in other areas too."

Nova raised an eyebrow. "Not you?"

"Jim's as good as I am in most areas, but yes, I will aim to try and teach you some of what I know. But if you want to take out Mengsk or even just survive this war, you'll need to be exceptionally good."

Nova nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation.

As we dropped out of warp, the reassuring sight of the fleet greeted us. They spotted us just as quickly.

"Sir, the  _ Hammer _ is hailing us." Jess reported.

"Put it up." I replied.

Captain Collins' image quickly appeared on the view-screen in from of us. "Welcome back, sir. A successful trip, I hope?"

"Moderately so, thank you, Captain. Anything to report?"

"All scout teams have returned, sir."

"Good to hear. Give us an hour or two to sort things out and we'll do a full debrief, unless you believe we need to move sooner than that."

"No sir, I believe there should be no problems with that."

My eyes narrowed slightly. I knew Collins well and he was being rather qualified in his answers, not like him unless there was some issue. A text message popped up on a smaller screen, also from Collins. "Lots of speculation over your absence. Expect some heated questions at debriefing." it read. I gave him a quick nod in thanks.

"Very well, Captain. If you could request the Captains' presence for a debriefing in two hours."

"Of course, sir.  _ Hammer _ out."

As Collins' image faded, I leant back in my seat. "Well I guess things have hit a little speed bump here too. But one problem at a time."

"Agreed." Jess replied. "I have messages from Captain Raynor and Master Selendis, both confirming that they are inbound."

"Good. Contact Matt, ask him if I can come across in about an hour."

"Will do."

Nova looked at me. "You want to talk to Matt now?"

"I need to do it soon, before the debriefing. Frankly, he deserves that. If not for this discussion we're about to have, I'd do it right now."

Jess chimed in. "Commander, your guests are currently docking."

I stood. "Thank you Jess. Tell them I'll meet them in the tac room. Coming, Nova?"

"I think I had better."

As Sarah, Jim and Selendis came in, they quickly took note of our expressions and their own smiles faded.

_ "What is wrong?" _ Selendis asked.

I brought up the recording of yesterday's battle. "I'd like you to have a look at this and see if you can spot anything strange."

All three watched the recording closely and remained silent for a few seconds after the recording finished. Jim was the first to speak.

"Is it just me, or did the Zerg seem pretty keen on chasing our  _ Stingray _ ?"

"No, they were definitely chasing us." Sarah replied. "I'm actually surprised we didn't take more damage than we did. There was a hell of a lot of them on our tail."

_ "Indeed, but their accuracy was far less than we have seen in the past." _ Selendis commented.

I nodded. "It certainly was. What does that suggest to you?"

Selendis's eyes narrowed.  _ "You think they weren't trying to hit them?" _

"But why would they want to do that?" Jim asked, confused. "They've never shown any reluctance to kill before."

"Unless they were after something." Nova put in.

"After something? What?"

Nova and I exchanged a glance. Then I looked Sarah in the eye.

"Not what. Who."

The realisation hit Sarah like a tidal wave. "Me."

Jim's head snapped around and Selendis's shock was apparent. I nodded.

"I'm sorry Sarah, but that does seem to be the case. We've been going over the data for the last few hours and we keep coming up with the same result. We also took another look at the Psi Emitter. What it’s broadcasting is essentially your mental signature."

Sarah nodded. "Makes sense, I guess. Looks like you called it all those months ago, Jim."

"That was not something I wanted to be right about." Jim replied.

"I know, but we can't change the facts. Everyone has always been after me for what I have." She turned to face me. "I can understand if you don't want me around, Jason. As long as I'm here, the Zerg are going to keep coming after you."

It was rare that anyone managed to make me speechless. It was rarer that the group of people present were shocked into silence. Nova was the first to speak. "How dare you!"

When I finally managed to speak, I was furious. "Sarah Louise Kerrigan, that is the single dumbest thing that I have ever heard come out of your mouth."

Jim continued where I left off. "After everything that we've all gone through together, you think we'd just throw you aside?"

For once, even Selendis's anger was apparent.  _ "Do you think that we just throw aside our friends and allies so lightly?" _

Sarah was gobsmacked.

I activated the sensor plot, showing all the ships around us. "Take a good look, Sarah. Every one of those ships out there willingly broke ranks to help rescue you. So, don't you dare suggest that we cut you loose." My voice softened. "If you want to leave us, that is your choice. You are a free woman, Sarah. You could even go to Mengsk or the Zerg if you want and we would respect that. We might ask you why you were that crazy, but we are used to you being out of your mind."

A grim chuckle ran through the room, although Nova shot me an odd look. Sarah looked both ashamed and relieved.

"Thank you." She said simply, although she was struggling to keep her emotions in check.

"Any other bombshells, Jason?" Jim asked.

"No, but I've got one to defuse. I've got to talk to Matt next." I replied.

"Give him our best please." Sarah asked.


	13. A Lively Discussion

As I brought the modified Wraith that I used as a personal vehicle into the docking bay of Matt's  _ Stingray _ , I was still feeling rather nervous. I did not expect that Matt's anger would have abated overnight, so this was likely to be an interesting meeting. Landing, I was met by my regular co-pilot, Lieutenant Wythes. I was glad to see her face, although the fact that Matt was nowhere to be seen was not a good sign.

"How are you doing, Ros?"

"Not too bad sir, all things considered. Matt's waiting for you in the tactical room."

I nodded, understanding that things were about as I had expected. We filled the rest of the short trip to the tac room comparing the  _ Liberator _ and the new  _ Stingray _ . As we arrived, she said, "I'd better get back to the cockpit, sir. Good luck."

I thanked her and walked in. Matt turned away from the tactical display as I entered, pausing the image. It was currently showing the  _ Cormorant _ in its final moments. The silence in the room was echoing. Finally Matt spoke.

"I lost my ship and a lot of my friends, all because of you."

I nodded. "I won't argue that. I made a mistake and they paid the price, as did a lot of others."

"Damn right!" Matt said.

"If there had been a way to save them Matt, you know I would have."

"Do I? You seem to have your favourites and the  _ Cormorant _ wasn't one of them. Why would you?"

My voice cooled slightly. "From a purely tactical point of view? We don't have an endless supply of ships and people Matt. We can't afford to throw them away casually, especially ones with crews as good as the  _ Cormorant's _ . From a personal point, I don't like losing anyone. Why else would I have risked so much at New Gettysburg? Yes, Kerrigan was there too, but so were a lot of troops and civilians, Matt. I don't take death lightly. I'm not the Confederacy, or Mengsk."

Matt nodded slowly. "I'll give you that, you aren't like them. But you could have saved them. You were there."

"What could I have done, Matt?" My patience was starting to wear thin.

"I can't win them all. The  _ Cormorant _ wasn't out of warp for more than 15 seconds before the Zerg killed them. It would have taken them at least a couple of minutes to cool down and charge their drives. Even the rest of the fleet would have taken 40 seconds to do that. The _ Liberator _ is good, but holding back a Zerg force like that alone? No ship that I've ever seen that could do it, even for long enough to get the fleet back. Add to that the fact that the  _ Cormorant _ was a sitting duck? It was an impossible task, Matt."

I paused for a moment, to get myself back under control. "I accept that I put Adams and the  _ Cormorant _ in that position, and that call got them killed. I should have left them on  _ Terra Firma _ . That is something that I will have to live with. But having put them there, there was nothing I could do to save them. All I could do was try and limit the number of people who died."

By this point I was getting tired of having to defend the indefensible. "But we both lost control out there, and that is not something either of us can afford to do again. I might have put the _ Cormorant _ in a position for it to be destroyed, and very nearly lost a lot more people, but you didn't even consider those you were responsible for. I let it go for as long as I could, but I had to pull you up before more people died."

Matt looked down, and I could see my words had finally penetrated. "I guess so, sir." He was obviously shaken.

"We both learnt a hard lesson, Matt. Now we need to make sure we don't repeat the mistake."

He looked up at me and managed a small smile. "I will if you will, sir. Deal?"

I shook his hand. "Deal. Before I go, there's something I should fill you in on, but I'd appreciate you not spreading it around."

I filled him in on what we had deduced about the Zerg and their interest in Sarah.

"Damn. Sarah infested is a frightening thought. We really dodged a bullet, didn't we?"

"More than one, and it's not over yet."

With Matt at least understanding the situation and the reasoning for my actions, I could put that to one side and focus on the meeting with the captains. Walking back into the tac room on the  _ Liberator _ , I still didn't have that much of an idea on exactly what the issue was. I was grateful for Collins' warning and his forwarding of the preliminary reports from the scout teams, but I was still essentially flying blind. Well, that was not exactly uncharted territory for me. As the images of the captains began to appear, I prepared myself for a long meeting. Given the situation, I had asked the Protoss not to take part beyond the reports they needed to present, something I wasn't happy about but they did at least accept it as necessary at this point.

"Before we begin, it is with deep regret that I must tell you of the loss of the  _ Cormorant _ , along with a number of fighter squadrons. I will fill you in on the details during this meeting, but I would ask that you join with me in a minute's silence in respect for Captain Adams, his crew and the pilots that have paid the ultimate price."

Much to my surprise, that was actually respected by all present, although I knew that several captains were keen to begin tearing into me.

"Thank you. Before we get to the scouting reports, I believe you have some questions for me. Ask away and I'll answer them as best I can."

"What exactly are you playing at?" one captain asked who I was not all that familiar with, although Jess quickly identified him as Paul Roland, Captain of the  _ Sanctuary _ .

"Would you care to be more specific?" I replied coolly.

"You know exactly what I mean! You give us orders, then pull a vanishing trick to go on an apparent 'scouting trip'. You ask us to follow you, but then not only blatantly demonstrate that you don't trust us, but that you trust the Protoss over your own kind."

I heard some murmurs of agreement and held up my hands. "On this occasion, you are quite right."

That stunned everyone.

"Given how we split from the Sons of Korhal, I had no guarantee that one or more of the ships that followed the  _ Liberator _ from Tarsonis did not have a mole on board. I had to take precautions against that possibility." I could see that Roland was about to speak again, but continued. "While the missions to Dylar and New Folsom are of high priority, it was also likely that Mengsk would guess we would move against one or both targets, so I was not so concerned about the possibility of him learning of the planning for an op against them."

"But you were concerned about the operation you were conducting? You used us as bait to draw him away from you!" Roland spat.

"Hardly. We walked away from Tarsonis with a sizable fleet, more than I think anyone could have expected. With much of his fleet in dry dock, he wasn't likely to risk an offensive against us, but more likely he would try to ambush us when we launch our own attack. The operation I led was attempting to provide something of an ace in the hole for us to play. Yes I did keep this close to my chest, but the odds were good that Mengsk was not aware of the asset we went after, so the only people informed of the mission and target were those who took part. Not even Collins was told the nature of the mission."

More than a few people looked surprised at that, and Collins appeared somewhat relieved. I guessed that he had had trouble convincing people of that fact.

"The asset we were after was the station that built the  _ Liberator _ . I was hopeful that we could convince them to side with us, giving us access to some highly advanced designs. I think you can see that we were quite successful in that regard."

More than a few of the captains were starting to nod by this point. But they were not going to like this next part anywhere near so much.

"Before we could finish up and return to the fleet, a Zerg attack force attempted to assault the station. While we were successful in repelling the assault and destroying the Zerg with the help of our allies," nodding towards Selendis, "the  _ Cormorant _ and a number of fighters, both Protoss and Terran, were lost, as well as a battlecruiser from the Shiloh defence force."

As I paused, Roland took advantage of the silence to interject. "Your lack of trust in us cost a lot of lives. We followed you at Tarsonis, when if we had stayed with Mengsk, we could have had it made. We gave up nearly everything because we thought you were better than him. So tell me, was it worth it?"

I looked right at him. "Was what we gained more than the lives we lost? You can't put a value on a life, but I do think that we will be able to save more lives in the long run, all we can do now is make sure that the fallen did not die in vain. But if you are asking me if what we gave up at Tarsonis was worth it, then I believe it was then and still is. However, that decision is one that you all will have to make. I am not asking you to follow me blindly, or place absolute trust in me. I make mistakes, just like anyone else. But if you do choose to stay, then I will ask you to believe that we will do what is best for everyone as a whole. There will be times when I have to keep things from most people. All I can ask is that you accept that and that I will entrust you with those secrets if and when I am able to do so. It may not be obvious, but I do have my reasons and I will ask you to trust that."

As I was saying this, Kerrigan sent me a private message. "You need to tell them about the Zerg being after me." I was reluctant to do so, but it really wasn't my choice at this point. If I didn't, then she likely would.

Roland was somewhat subdued by what I said, but still had some fight left. "That's well and good, but how can we trust those words when they are exactly what Mengsk claimed?"

He did have a point there, but doing what Kerrigan suggested might well give me a counter. "It's a fair point, Roland. But you've been firing all the questions at me, let me ask you one first before I answer. What persuaded you to follow me, rather than Mengsk, at Tarsonis? All of you for that matter?"

Captain Ryan had so far been silent during this conversation, but now she spoke up. "I can only speak for myself, Commander, but despite everything, I haven't forgotten that you've laid everything on the line for those under your command before now. Mengsk proved at Tarsonis that he would abandon us at will. That makes you a better man to follow in my mind."

I smiled, touched by the honesty and conviction that she showed. "Thank you, Captain."

I hesitated, then decided to go with Sarah's suggestion. "There was one other thing to come out of the latest battle with the Zerg, but I would ask that you keep it to yourselves for the moment."

I looked around the images in front of me, receiving nods from everyone before continuing. "During that battle, the Zerg showed a remarkable tendency to pursue a particular  _ Stingray _ in particular, but appeared to make every effort not to destroy or overly damage it."

Confusion was apparent across the room. Captain Morris commented, "That's not like the Zerg we know and love, sir."

"Agreed." Roland said. "I'm not quite sure what this has to do with anything though, unless you're suggesting that someone is in league with the Zerg, which I find unlikely in the extreme."

"So do I." I replied. "But it bothered me, so we've been taking a closer look over the last few hours. The  _ Stingray _ in question was at the time piloted by Sarah Kerrigan."

Roland's eyes narrowed. "Are you suggesting that the Zerg are after her?"

I nodded. "I'm certain of it. Out of interest, I had the emanations from a Psi Emitter compared to her mental signature. They are a perfect match. And we've all seen the effects of those on Zerg."

Grim expressions were on every face around the room.

"I don't think I need to elaborate any further on what could happen as a result, but at the moment, we are treating this as solid intel until proven otherwise. So it's likely that we will be seeing the Zerg attacking us again."

I looked around the room. "I suggest we break for an hour. Let everyone take a chance to think this over. If anyone decides that they want to leave, as long as you do not intend to cause us harm, I certainly won't hold it against you. What you all have done already is more than I could have or had any right to have expected. I will be available to talk to privately if you wish, but as I said before, the choice is yours."

With that, I cut the connection and the images faded. Leaning back in my chair, I confirmed that Jess had set up the monitoring system that would allow us to spot anyone contacting Mengsk, as I still suspected someone might be working for him. All I could do now was wait.

To my surprise, Roland was the first to contact me privately. "I think I might owe you an apology, sir."

"Why is that?" I replied.

"You've proven yourself again and again, but I still questioned you like you were an FNG. I think I understand your reasoning for what you have done. I still have some trouble believing what you said about Kerrigan however. You are positive?"

"As much as I can be. Short of going and asking the Zerg, of course."

He snorted. "I'd like to see that. Did Mengsk know?"

I had wondered about that possibility myself. "I don't know. I'm sure he knew more about the Psi Emitters than he told us, but did he make that connection? I've no idea."

He nodded grimly. "For what it's worth sir, I'm with you. But I'd watch your back. There were a few people content to just sit and watch the fireworks rather than firing any shots themselves."

"I expected that to happen. All I can do is wait and see what happens. But thanks for the heads up."

"You're welcome sir. Out."

A number of other captains contacted me privately over the course of the hour, each seeking a bit of confirmation on a particular point. I saw no indications that suggested any of them would choose to leave. What Jess had intercepted, however, was much more interesting: a short interstellar communication.

_ "He's back with the fleet." _

_ "Any word on what he's up to? _

_ "A special-op job. I'll send you the specifics when I can." _

_ "Good. What's his plan?" _

_ "He hasn't said, but I imagine that he still intends to go after Dylar and New Folsom. You'll need to cover them." _

_ "Keep me informed." _

I didn't immediately recognise the first voice, but I did recognise the second.

So we did have a mole after all. Jess put up the analysis, with the names attached. Looking it over, I snorted. "I should have guessed."


	14. Let the Hunt Begin

The names attached to the intercepted transmission had a very obvious linkage. One was one of my captains. The other was a high ranking government official.

_ Captain Malcolm Kang and Umojan Councillor Jacob Kang. _

The idea that the Umojans had infiltrated first the Sons of Korhal, and then our offshoot branch of rebels, was not completely surprising. Given their quiet support of Mengsk's rebel force, it was quite possible that they would send a small force to covertly assist in bringing down the Confederates. But what I needed to know was who exactly they were supporting now. Finding that out would be quite a trick. I had heard of Jacob Kang, as I had 'witnessed' a meeting between him and Mengsk. Jacob had struck me as a decent man, for a politician. It was equally likely that he would keep supporting Mengsk, or that he would move away from him once he witnessed Mengsk revealing his true colours. Perhaps a personal discussion with him might be in order.

Still, I wasn't sure that Mengsk did not have a person, or people, within our ranks contacting him directly, so it was time for a bit of misinformation. At the end of the hour, I met again with the captains. All of them openly claimed to be willing to remain, accepting of my explanation of events and how I planned to do things, including Kang. I told them that, if time allowed, I would like to meet with them privately, truthfully saying that I wanted and needed to get to know those under my command better. I also told them that I intended to assault the New Folsom prison first and within the next few days, with an eye towards gathering enough forces to break through into the Dylarian shipyards, but there would need to be a delay in between the assaults to allow us to amalgamate the liberated population into our forces. I also said that Executor Tassadar had requested Masters Selendis and Tamsir to return for a time, for a specific operation, so as a result this would be a Terran-only mission, and that even the Observers would be needed elsewhere, so we essentially would be relying on what data local operatives and hacking would be able to provide. It should still be more than enough however, I assured them.

All of this couldn't have been farther from the truth.

While I did intend to launch the operation within the next few days, I actually intended to attack the Dylar shipyards first, as it was a more time-critical operation. Our intel suggested the fleet would be ready to depart within a couple of weeks. I also intended to immediately follow it up with the New Folsom operation, as any response was likely to be directed onto the shipyards, on the other side of the sector from New Folsom. As for the Protoss, I had got Nova and Sarah to privately contact Selendis, explaining the situation and asking for their assistance in my deception, assistance they were more than happy to provide. In reality, both forces were quietly moving into place to support the operations, although Selendis had informed Tassadar of the situation as a whole.

Wanting to visit the ships was not only about becoming more familiar with those I was working with, but also about watching for signs of communications with outside forces in an attempt to ferret out any moles in our ranks, although exactly what I would do with them was still up for debate. I thought that it was best to begin with Captain Roland, given the apparent bad blood between us, but I was careful to not place Captain Kang either too high or too low on my list, although I was going to make sure I got there.

Arriving on the  _ Sanctuary _ , I was slightly surprised to see that Roland had turned out a welcoming party/honour guard, given I had said it would be a rather informal affair. Still, I figured that Roland had his reasons and I'd find them out in rather short order. As soon as the pleasantries were complete, he dismissed his people back to their work and turned to me.

"I must admit, I was surprised to see you so soon, sir."

"I had a few people I wanted to see early on, and you were one of them. What better place to start?"

He smiled. "So, the tour first then?"

"Works for me."

As we toured the old battlecruiser, I got the impression that Roland was the sort of captain that I appreciated, tough but fair and not afraid to get his hands dirty. He also had an aptitude for improvising solutions and a tendency to make surprise visits to parts of the ship most captains would prefer to avoid. As for his crew, they were obviously a happy and tight-knit group that respected their leader. The more I saw, the more impressed I was. As we finished up the tour and settled into a conference room for a private talk, I had no problems telling him so.

"Coming from you, that means a lot, sir. I've done my best to earn respect rather than just demanding it."

"From what I've seen, you've done a fine job of it. Doesn't matter what the ship's like, without a good crew, it may as well be scrap. I do have one question though."

"Oh? Shoot."

I smiled. "You never did answer me. Why did you break away from Mengsk at Tarsonis? From what I've seen of your record, you were something of a high flyer within the Sons of Korhal. Why give it up?"

His own smile faded slightly. "Why did you? One of Mengsk's own inner circle. You were probably his best commander, able to get the job done under any conditions. What made you leave?"

I raised an eyebrow. "We'll trade then. How much do you know of the Tarsonis campaign?"

"Some. You were partnered with Duke, then you had some punch-up. We never heard what about. Next thing I know, you're heading for the surface, which I haven't seen in a long time, and the  _ Hyperion _ 's shooting at you."

"Ever wonder how the Zerg showed up so fast?"

His eyes narrowed. "Are you saying that-"

"Mengsk ordered Psi Emitters to be planted? That's exactly what happened. Gave the order to Duke and left the rest of us in the dark. That's no surprise, he knew we wouldn't take it well. I was already a little wary of him, rescuing Duke in the first place and how we got off Antiga Prime never sat well with me."

He was silent for a moment. "Then what?"

I grimaced. "New Gettysburg. He meant for that force to die down there, especially Kerrigan."

"Why her?"

I shook my head. "That's a question you'll have to ask her. But it was the last straw. I don't abandon people. Period."

He nodded. "So I see. That must make the  _ Cormorant _ hard for you."

"Yeah. Not something I'm likely to forget in a hurry." I replied. "Anyway, now it's your turn."

He stood slowly and walked over to pick up a framed vid-snap to hand to me. It showed Roland and two people: a young girl, certainly no older than 6, and a woman roughly Sarah's age.

"That's my wife, Lilith, and daughter, Tina. They were living on Mar Sara when the Zerg arrived. I was already part of the Sons of Korhal by that time, so when I heard that Mar Sara was under attack and that we were going to extract people there, I was desperate to be part of the rescue mission. But we were stuck on the other side of the sector, laying the groundwork for the Antiga Prime campaign. I didn't hear what had happened until weeks later. It might have been the Sons that extracted you, but it was you and Raynor that held on long enough to make sure there were people still alive to extract. You two were the only ones worried about the civilians. I know that now."

I raised an eyebrow. "Now?"

He handed me a document. "I found this on a body of a Sons operative on Tarsonis. She fell defending the main base during our first push. Who she was isn't important, but what she was ordered to do is."

I gave the document a quick glance, then something caught my attention and I gave it a more careful reading. It was a transcript of a conversation between Mengsk and a Sons operative on Mar Sara just before the Zerg invasion, indicating they had been cut off from another operative with ...

My head snapped up to look at Roland. "You found this just before the New Gettysburg mission?"

"Yes. I couldn't think who to bring it to, I didn't know who to trust. When your message came through, I realised the opportunity that had just presented itself was too important to pass up."

My head was spinning. Almost everything I had believed about what had happened on Mar Sara and after had just been turned on its head.

Mengsk had told me that the Confederates had planted the Psi Emitter on Mar Sara,  _ knowing full well _ that one of his operatives had stolen the device and activated it.

_ The Sons of Korhal had been responsible for the Zerg attacking Mar Sara. _

Something else hit me. "Your family, did they make it out?"

Roland nodded. "It was a close run thing, but yes. But virtually everyone they knew weren't so lucky." He nodded at the document. "You didn't know about that, then?"

I shook my head. "If I had, I never would have stayed with Mengsk." My face hardened. "One more reason to nail him to the wall."

"I get the feeling there is starting to be quite a list."

"You've got that right. If you don't mind, I'd like to hang on to this for now." I waved the transcript.

"No problem."

I stood. "I'd probably better get moving. Keep this under wraps for the moment, please."

"You still think Mengsk has someone here working for him?"

"Let's just say I'm not ruling it out yet."

He nodded. "I can't blame you on that count. I thought our sensors caught the edge of a couple of long range transmissions over the last few hours but wasn't sure. I thought you had authorised them."

I had been about to turn away. "A couple?"

"Yeah, the last was a couple of minutes before you arrived."

I swallowed. "I don't need to tell you not to repeat that either."

His eyes widened. "No, sir. I take it that you didn't authorise them?"

"No, I didn't."

Over the next few hours, I did my best to concentrate on the meetings with the various captains. Some I knew well, such as Ryan of the  _ Athena _ : those discussions were quite simple and I had no real need to stay for long. Others I did not know, and so had to take more time to get a clear picture of them and their methods. Still, as a whole I got the impression of a group of honest, honourable and competent officers, with crews that were reasonably content and happy to follow them.

Shortly after leaving  _ Sanctuary, _ I had contacted Jess with a tight-beam transmission to avoid detection. She confirmed that a second transmission had been sent shortly before I met with Roland, but that the encryption and style appeared to be very different. It would appear, then, that there were two moles within the fleet, reporting to different masters. I would have to look closer at the transmission when I had time, but I could probably rule out the likelihood that Kang and the Umojans were working directly with Mengsk, although I couldn't be certain. Now at least I could try and get a feeling for the man himself. Bringing my fighter into the hangar, I saw a hive of activity. The crew was crawling over the military gear, looking to be doing some field repairs. Kang greeted me as I climbed down.

"Welcome aboard the  _ Osiris _ , sir."

My first impression of Malcolm Kang was of a quiet but professional officer. Intelligence gleamed behind his eyes, and he held himself calmly, but respectfully. Under normal circumstances, I would have liked him on sight.

"Thank you, Captain. Didn't realise that your people had taken so much damage during the last few runs, or I'd have come when you weren't so busy."

"Oh that," he replied, waving towards where the crew was working. "Just some routine maintenance on our gear. Given what we're likely to be doing, I felt having our equipment in top shape was going to be necessary."

"Definitely. You have everything you need?"

"Yes sir. We try not to waste anything here.” 

Those two statements were a little contradictory, but I agreed with the sentiment. Keeping everything in as good a condition as possible was a very good idea. Inspecting the rest of the ship while making small talk, I got the impression of a well run ship, with an efficient crew. Everywhere there seemed to be some form of work going, as if the entire ship was getting a small overhaul. It could be difficult to hear at times and the more suspicious side of me wondered if the work was in order to try and block any recording that I might have been tempted to try. While I had been inclined to attempt it, I didn't have the equipment I would need in order to do it with me.

Throughout the entire tour, I saw only one thing that hinted at an Umojan link. On the  _ Osiris's _ bridge, tucked away in a corner almost out of sight, was a highly advanced direct communicator, designed to link solely to another similar device. I recognised the design from the  _ Hyperion _ , where a similar device had been used by Mengsk to communicate with an Umojan operative. While the devices were not completely secure, it was very difficult to break into their communications and decrypt them. The only reason I'd managed it was the fact that Jess was a top-level AI, and was capable of detecting and recording the transmission in real time, leaving it for later decryption. I was slightly surprised that Roland had managed to spot it at all. I didn't get the chance for a close inspection, but filed it away as something else to remember.

The rest of the tour was essentially routine. All the answers I got from my various questions were as I would have expected from any of the captains, right down to asking why he split from Mengsk.

"Doing the right thing has always been important to me, sir," was the reply. It was likely true, but the best lies always contain some truth. At the end of the tour, I had no clear idea as to exactly what his intentions were, let alone those of the Protectorate. All that I could really do was try and keep track of any communications outbound from the fleet and hope that I could find out what I needed quickly enough. At least I knew to keep an eye out for Umojans around us, as well as Mengsk.

Over the next couple of days, I got around to each of the ships, meeting with the captains and inspecting the crews and how they performed. On the whole, I was relatively pleased. It seemed that I had inherited a small, but elite, core of personnel and equipment, something that was going to be vital over the coming months and years. Any concerns that the captains had had over how I ran things were discussed and a resolution reached relatively quickly and simply every time. The biggest remaining problem was the likelihood of one or more moles within our ranks. The second transmission had proven difficult to decrypt, even for Jess. She was able to confirm that the codes used within it were similar to other codes Mengsk had used in the past, but tracing it, either to the source or destination, identifying the mole, or even reading the message, had so far proven impossible.

I had spent the last couple of days either meeting with the captains, working with Jess to get more information out of the intercepted transmission or planning the two operations that were about to go off, so I hadn't had any time to really spend with Sarah, Nova or Jim. I knew Nova was spending a lot of time with them, mainly doing some much-needed training exercises, so I didn't expect to be disturbed for some time. So, when Selendis warped into the tactical rooms while I was running simulations proved quite a shock. I realised what had happened just in time to avoid shooting her.

"I'd ask you to knock next time, but I'm not sure how you would from several light years away." I said.

She chuckled.  _ "Given what you have been planning, I think that would be counter-productive." _

"Somewhat. What can I do for you?"

_ "It is more what we can do for you. Kerrigan led me to understand that you intend to attack Dylar ahead of New Folsom, but have indicated to your subordinates that it will be the other way around." _

"Right." I replied. "The problem I've got is working out how exactly to get to Dylar without giving away what my real plans are to any spies we have."

_ "You know you have spies?" _

"Yeah. We've managed to ID one of them and who they're reporting to, but we know there's a second – and they've got much better protection around them. We're still having trouble cracking it, and I don't think we'll get it done in time for the missions tomorrow. Not a lot I can do about that, although if I can mislead them, it won't really matter in the short-term."

_ "Which brings you back to the same problem. How to get the fleet to Dylar without them knowing that is where they are heading." _

I nodded.

_ She continued, "You will be pleased to know then that the Dominion is concentrating forces around New Folsom, although Dylar's defences have also been strengthened. It seems that the mole bought your plan of attack." _

"That is one piece of good news. Ideally though, we'll need some time to not only secure the ships, but try and grab what supplies and parts we can. The Dominion is still going to be able to scramble ships fairly fast though, so we'll have to leave pretty quickly to make it to New Folsom in time to pull it off,  _ if _ we can manage to pull off the raid on Dylar."

_ "About that. What if I told you that we could get you to and from Dylar and New Folsom almost instantly?" _


	15. Time for Some Hurt Now

For a moment, all I could do was stare at Selendis in utter shock. Finally I managed to speak, although coherence was still missing in action. "You what?"

Selendis's amusement was obvious.  _ "We can get you to and from New Folsom and Dylar almost instantly." _

I had never seen anything with capability in the same  _ sector _ as what she was talking about. "How?"

She moved across to the tactical display and uploaded a projection of a ship type I had never come across before. _ "This is an Arbiter. We were only able to request them from the home world in the last couple of days. It is designed as a specialised support ship. While it can provide fire support to other forces, it is the abilities that it possesses which make it so useful. It can place an enemy in stasis, cloak units around it or transport friendly units within a certain radius of a point to its position, no matter the distance between them." _

"No matter the distance?" I said, astonished.

_ "Yes. They are extremely rare, as you might expect, but given the situation that we face, Executor Tassadar felt they would be required in the battles to come." _

"I'd say he's right. And for this, they are absolutely perfect."

"What's perfect?" Sarah's voice sounded from behind me. Turning, I saw Jim, Sarah and Nova walk in, greeting Selendis with a degree of surprise. Once the greetings were over, she turned back to me and raised an eyebrow.

"The Protoss have given us a way to hit both Dylar and New Folsom without giving away our intentions before the attack. I didn't know you guys had come for a visit."

"Nova thought you'd be missing us and you were in danger of going sane." Jim smirked.

"Sane? No chance of that. And I missed you guys like a hole in the head."

"Love you too." Sarah laughed. "So how exactly is this going to work?"

I turned back to the console, bringing up a map of the sector. "Selendis, how close can you get to both targets?"

_ "The terran sensors and patrols extend to about a half light-year out from the main facilities, although the outer edge of their defensive zone relies primarily on patrols to detect hostiles. Our observers have managed to penetrate this zone with ease. They could guide an Arbiter into a close attack position, then the Arbiter could recall the fleet. A force of this size, particularly if the Dylar raid is successful, would require multiple Arbiters to recall at once, though." _

"How many could you spare?" Jim asked.

_ "We currently have three assigned to us, which would be enough under controlled circumstances. We would need to position two close to Dylar, then have the third at New Folsom and recall the others immediately after we launch our attack." _

"Presumably, the energy costs are quite high, so we would need to ensure that we don't require a recall before they have managed to recharge their energy. Rather like our Yamato Cannons." I commented.

Selendis nodded.  _ "The principle is indeed much the same." _

"So we can get to both targets, now we need to work out how to take them down." I brought up the display for the Dylarian shipyards. "If we can pull off the Dylar operation, then we can probably count on a minimum of 10 hours before they can scramble reinforcements. But that's the worst-case scenario. Remember, they're still in the process of switching from Confederate to Dominion, which is going to shake things up a lot. I would imagine that we would have closer to 20 hours, or even more, before the Dominion arrives."

"And all of their reinforcements will likely head that way, which should give us a clear shot at New Folsom." Nova added.

"Right. The problem is that we need to not only pacify the defences, but to do as little damage to the ships as possible, so that they're ready to fly as soon as we can take them. That requires catching as many of them in dry-dock as possible, which means we'll need to move very fast. It's too risky to get an Arbiter in that close to warp directly, so we still have to cut through the defence stations and the fleet guarding it."

"The  _ Stingrays _ are our best bet on that count." Sarah replied. "Their disrupter batteries could disable them quickly, allowing the fleet to pass through the line."

"If we had more than three, I'd agree with you. But we'd be spreading ourselves way too thin to knock them all out in time. We'll still have a hell of a fight on our hands." Jim said.

I nodded. "I want to offer them the chance to surrender first, though I doubt they will. I think the best bet is going to be to have the  _ Stingrays _ concentrate on the fleet, possibly with some carrier support. I'm not so worried about the Wraiths, we have a fair few of them and the facilities to make more. The problem there will be finding pilots for them. But the battlecruisers are more of an issue if they're heavily damaged. Those should be the main targets for the  _ Stingrays _ , with a carrier or two's worth of interceptors to provide some cover and distraction. The rest of the fleet should knock out the defence stations and fighters. Our fighters are certainly able to handle theirs and Yamato salvoes would knock down the defence stations to a manageable point in fairly short order. But we need to engage at long range."

"Right. We're doing this to gain ships, not lose them." Jim nodded. "Still, there are only half a dozen of the defence stations and around 20 battlecruisers that are ready for fighting. If everyone knows what to shoot at and we hit fast and hard enough, we might just stand a chance."

_ "Agreed." _ Selendis replied.  _ "This will not be like the Shiloh battle. This time, we have more ships, more capability and a plan of attack." _

"Not to mention, we can also dictate the time of attack. Didn't you always say it was easier to attack than defend?" Nova added.

"True." I nodded. "Selendis, any chance you can get the Arbiters in on the solar side of the base?"

Selendis pondered the idea for a moment, then nodded.  _ "It will be tricky, but not impossible to do." _

"Good. Coming in from that side will blind their sensors for longer. If anywhere is likely to be less defended, it will be that section. So, we cut in, knock out the communications, defence stations and fighters, disable and board the battlecruisers and shipyards, grab as many ships and supplies as we possibly can and wreck the rest so Mengsk can't use them. Then we head to New Folsom and work our way through that. Sound like a plan?"

The others all nodded. It was still something of a rough plan, but it had the best chance of working.

"Right. As for New Folsom, I want to come in on the opposite side of the system to Dylar. If they expect us to go straight there, they'll likely be expecting a straight flight. It's at least 96 hours of conventional travel between Dylar and New Folsom, so even if they get the message out before we can cut them off, we can count on around that long for most of the Dominion reinforcements set up there to reach us. Other smaller groups of ships may well be closer, but I doubt Mengsk will want to send a full-sized force from them, it would leave him too exposed to other threats."

"Speaking of other threats, what if the Zerg show up?" Nova asked.

That was a problem. If the Zerg showed up in force, we would have a major firefight on our hands. Given the fact that we had given them a serious defeat at Shiloh, they might be less concerned with chasing us right now. But they would keep coming for Sarah, I was sure of that.

"Selendis, has Tassadar got any ideas about what the Zerg have been up to?"

_ "No. He mentioned, in fact, that the Zerg had been remarkably quiet, just a couple of minor raids apart from Shiloh." _

"Sounds like they're massing for something then." Nova commented.

"Yeah, I doubt they're going to retreat and lick their wounds any time soon." Sarah said grimly.

I knew we were all thinking the same thing. A thought occurred to me, not one I was exactly happy about, but it might solve the immediate problem. Of course, Sarah and Nova picked up on the fact that I was contemplating something that was less than palatable, and Selendis had a reasonable suspicion as well.

"Something you want to share with us?" Nova asked.

Jim spun to look at me, raising an eyebrow. I grimaced. "We know the Zerg are after Sarah, so it's reasonable to assume they can track her mentally to a degree, right?

"Right." Jim said slowly, then his eyes widened. "You can't be serious about-"

"About using her as bait? Don't be ridiculous." I snapped, unhappy at the thought that he might have expected me to suggest that.

His voice dropped a few degrees. "I actually wasn't thinking along those lines. After what we've been through, I know that you wouldn't even think that way."

I took a minute to calm down slightly. "Sorry, I just assumed the worst. It's a bad habit."

"And one that's kept us alive." Sarah said gently. "You're thinking of Psi Emitters, aren't you?"

The others stared at me, although no one looked surprised. I nodded. "I don't like it, but it offers the best chance of keeping the Zerg out of the way. We might even be able to rig some explosives up with them, to give the Zerg a proper welcome. But I hate the damn things."

"Better using it this way than on an inhabited planet." Jim said thoughtfully.

"It may also be a way to establish once and for all that the Zerg is after me." Sarah added.

_ "Agreed." _ Selendis replied.

I nodded slowly. "So, we need to get that rigged up. Jim, were there Psi Emitters on the other  _ Stingrays _ ? I never got the chance to ask Butler."

"Yeah, I saw a couple there, we'll get it set up."

"Good. For Dylar, we'll split off into three groups, each led by a  _ Stingray _ . That should be deadly enough. New Folsom I think is going to be something of making it up as we go. Sarah, I'll need you on the ground for that, and I'm thinking that we might all need to drop."

"Including me?" Nova asked, stunned.

I glanced at Jim and Sarah. I knew that Nova was at least competent, but given they had been training her, I felt their opinion was going to be valuable. Both nodded. Smiling, I looked back at Nova. "Yep, you don't get to miss out on this one."

_ Wind. _

_ Lava. _

_ Storms. _

_ A shadowy figure. _

_ A familiar voice. _

_ "You must understand." _

Sleep had not been the restful experience I had hoped for. I was starting to remember the past dreams more clearly though, which might have been a plus. Blinking sleep out of my eyes, I just managed to finish getting ready when I heard a quiet knock at the door. Glancing at the display Jess put up, I saw Nova waiting outside. Opening up, I said, "Nova. What's up?"

"Something's troubling you." She replied, not asking but stating it as a fact.

"You mean, aside from the spies, two battles that need to be done, watching out for Mengsk and the Zerg, keeping an alliance with the Protoss, oh and trying to ensure that the people I'm about to lead to battle can function effectively as a unit and all stay alive?"

She gave me a look that told me she wasn't impressed by my attempts at deflection. I sighed. "I'm starting to think that Sarah taught you too well."

"So, what is up?" She persisted.

I waved her in and closed the door behind me. "Jess, short of an attack, I don't want to be disturbed."

"Understood."

Turning back to Nova, I sat down. "The last week or so, I've been having some freaky dreams. I'm getting little enough sleep as it is, but these aren't helping that."

"Dreams? You being worried about dreams is unusual. They must really be freaky."

"Yeah. The last few have been hard to figure out. It's just a shadowy figure that keeps saying something mysterious. They're always surrounded by lava, Zerg or both. Wherever it is looks damn unpleasant."

"The last few? What about the early ones?"

I swallowed. "The very first one was the strangest of all. It was the day we split from Mengsk. Nova, I dreamt about what happened that day, or rather what would have happened that day if we hadn't got Sarah out from New Gettysburg. The Protoss showing up, the briefing, the Zerg attacking, all of it. How is that even possible?"

Nova blinked. "The only thing I can think of is that it's not a dream. Either you have some sort of precognition, which is unlikely, or-"

I finished her statement. "Or someone has managed to enter my mind and plant that dream. Someone else who knew what would happen that day. But who?"

"A Protoss?"

"Maybe. But how would they have known? And if it is someone, what are they trying to tell me now? Can I even trust my own mind?"

"What have they said? Any idea who it might be?"

"No, I can't see them clearly. When they've spoken, it's been the same person, I'm sure of it. All they've said is 'Listen' and 'You must understand'."

Nova frowned. "You should talk to Sarah about this."

"Maybe, but it seems to involve her somehow. The first dream was about her after all. If this is a Zerg trick, then I don't want to have her anywhere near it."

"Then I guess we'd better keep it between us. It might help if I saw these dreams for myself, maybe help you relive them."

"I don't want to put you at risk either."

"You're not. I doubt that the Zerg would have wanted you to have the knowledge to stop them taking Sarah. Please, just trust me."

I considered the idea. "Later perhaps, but we don't have the time now. They'll have to wait."

She nodded reluctantly, then fixed me with a fierce stare. "The next time you have one of these dreams, you tell me. OK?"

I looked her in the eye. "OK." I stood up. "Come on. We've got a big day ahead."

As we took our places in the cockpit, ready for the upcoming battle, we were both still thinking over what we'd discussed. I knew that I shouldn't have burdened Nova with it, but it did help to at least get it off my chest. Nova glanced at me, knowing what I was thinking. I chuckled briefly.

"Jess, call everyone to general quarters." I ordered, looking over the  _ Liberator's _ systems. Nova did the same, quickly tweaking a few settings before closing her eyes. Presently, I was relying on her and Sarah to maintain a mental link with Selendis so we could communicate with her without needing a comm channel.

"All stations manned. The  _ Liberator _ is ready for battle, Commander." Jess reported in.

"Selendis reports that the Protoss are prepared and waiting." Nova added.

I nodded and opened a channel to the fleet. "All ships, prepare to move out. Formation positions are being sent now. Launch marks in 15 minutes. Come to general quarters."

The previous night, we had allocated ships to each formation group. The  _ Stingrays  _ would lead off with the battlecruisers following behind in a rough cloud, guarding the dropships and other less powerful ships. We would have to launch fighters when we arrived, in order to avoid suspicion, but we could do that easily enough. Still, if all went to plan, then we would be able to drop a large quantity of firepower on our targets before they knew we were there. Assuming of course they didn't know we were coming.

"Commander, I've detected a long-range transmission. It appears to be using the same protocols as before, I do not believe I can break the encryption before launch." Jess reported.

"Well that was a surprise. Can you work out where it came from?" I asked.

"Negative, the concentration of ships in that area is too dense to be precise."

"But you can tell which area? Any chance you can compare this transmission's source area to the previous one, narrow the field?"

"Working on it. It will still leave a group of around 20 ships however."

"20 is better than having the whole fleet under suspicion."

Jess's projection nodded before continuing. "I have a low powered transmission from the  _ Sanctuary  _ incoming."

"Roland. I think I can guess what this might be about. Put him through."

Roland's voice came over my earpiece. "Sir, we just detected another transmission. No way we'll be able to crack it though."

"No, it does seem to be pretty good encryption, doesn't it? Can you work out a rough direction that it came from?"

"Stand by, sir. Techs are looking at it now." There was a brief pause. "It looks like a broad group of ships, sir. I don't think we can narrow it down much."

"Send me the directional data from what transmissions you've managed to spot. Maybe we can triangulate, narrow the field more."

As I talked, I looked down the list of ships that Jess had narrowed the transmission to. The  _ Sanctuary _ was one of them, which might explain how Roland could have picked up the transmission. I had considered that it might have been the source, but I doubted it. What was comforting was that the  _ Osiris _ was not on the list. Kang evidently felt no need to send any transmissions warning that our attack was about to start, which made it less likely that the Umojans were cooperating directly with Mengsk.

"Data sent, sir."

"Got it, thanks, Roland. Keep your wits about you,  _ Liberator _ out."

I elected to wait a few more minutes while the fleet moved into position before ordering comm silence. No one else took advantage of the opportunity to send any messages, at least as far as we could detect. A couple of minutes out from launching, I opened the fleet-wide channel again.

"All ships, come to battle acceleration. Prepare for jump. Jim, deploy the decoy."

The fleet quickly picked up speed. Glancing at the sensors, I saw Jim and Sarah's  _ Stingray  _ launch a small object, which I knew to contain a Psi Emitter, a sophisticated set of sensors... and high-yield explosives. The whole package wouldn't activate for another 10 minutes, giving us time to vacate the area. I looked at Nova and she nodded, indicating Selendis was ready to initiate recall. Making sure that the comms were off-line, I nodded. "Do it."

A blaze of light surrounded all of us for an instant, then suddenly we were in a completely different region of space. Selendis and Tamsir's fleets were already moving into formation with us. To my surprise, the comms remained silent although I figured there were a lot of confused people right now.

"Welcome to Dylar, everyone. Targets are being assigned now. Launch all fighters and prepare for attack jump on my mark." I could see the two Arbiters that had brought us here turning away, getting clear of the fleet to allow for their own recall to New Folsom. It seemed the professionalism was still present, as no one questioned what I had said, and the fighters all launched as smoothly as ever. Within 5 minutes, we were ready. With one final glance at the sensors, now supplemented by the Observers still on station, I gave the order. "Mark."

The view outside flickered into the familiar appearance of warp travel for a couple of seconds before it was replaced with the Dylarian shipyards straight ahead. One thing was certain. They  _ hadn't _ expected us to be here at this point. All of their active ships were simply patrolling around, as if nothing was unusual. Only a small group of 3 battlecruisers and 20 Wraiths were in front of us, although there was also a pair of defence stations behind them. It wouldn't take long for the entire garrison to learn of our presence.

Opening a channel, I began. "Dominion forces, this is Commander Jason Davis. We do not wish to have to fight you. None who take up arms against us shall be harmed. While we have no love for Arcturus Mengsk, we have no quarrel with you."

A reply was not long in coming. "You seriously think the words of a traitor are going to sway us?"

"A traitor? If choosing not to leave thousands of good soldiers to die makes me a traitor, then fine. But at least I can say that I care more for people than power."

"Bah. All you're talking is bullshit. You think you can win here? The rest of the fleet will be here within hours. Even with your Protoss buddies, all you'll achieve here is your death."

My voice cooled. "I work with the Protoss because we both have more regard for lives other than ourselves and we realise the Zerg are the bigger threat. Mengsk will never understand that. So we'll find allies wherever we can, and if Mengsk ends up weaker from it, so much the better. You can not stop us. The only thing that can be determined now is your fate. The choice is yours."

"Then so be it."

The battlecruisers turned to face us, fighters immediately leaping forward. Behind them, the two defence stations began establishing their own target locks. Sighing, I switched to the fleet channel. "All ships, execute attack plan Echo. Fire at will."

The three  _ Stingrays _ swiftly opened up on the battlecruisers with disruptor batteries, scrambling their systems and knocking them out of the fight very quickly. Behind, our own battlecruisers targeted the defence stations, focusing fire onto them. The Protoss carriers deployed their interceptors, concentrating on knocking the fighters out, although I noticed that they too had been left primarily intact, but unable to participate further. Meanwhile, our own fighters, both Terran and Protoss, swarmed forward, engaging the defence stations that had been softened up. The cargo ships and dropships moved up behind us, using the rest of the fleet for cover until the battle was finished. Protecting them was vital, as they carried the forces that would capture what ships we could. Given that we outnumbered the force by 20 times when the Protoss were factored in, it didn't take long to neutralise them.

"Leave them be for now," I ordered, beginning to move towards the shipyards themselves. "The rest of the fleet can't be far away."

Right on cue, a new voice came over on a new channel as a swarm of Dominion ships exited warp in front of us. "All Dominion forces, target the hostiles. Blow them out of space."

My anger peaked. I recognised the voice of Edmund Duke very well indeed. I realised that Mengsk wouldn't come here himself, but he would send naturally send Duke. But where was he? The  _ Norad II _ was getting repaired here so where was he commanding from?

Then I saw it. Another ship I knew only too well.

The  _ Hyperion. _


	16. Have a real good day now

With the  _ Hyperion _ and the rest of the Dominion fleet bearing down on us, I knew we would have to move quickly to avoid being cornered. I also knew we would be unlikely to be able to capture them all.

"All ships, shift to attack plan Alpha. But leave the  _ Hyperion _ to us."

Nova looked at me with surprise. "I thought you didn't think the  _ Liberator _ was strong enough to win against the  _ Hyperion _ ."

"Against Mengsk, it would have been far too close for my liking." I replied. "But Duke? The man may know a thing or two about ground battles but even there, he's far too predictable. The only reasons he does so well there are the fact that mostly he enjoys overwhelming firepower and the fact that while he does things predictably, he does them very, very well. In space though, his tactics are just as predictable and not executed anywhere near so well. Besides, we have a few tricks of our own to use."

"Such as?"

I smiled. "Jess, we have a clear run at Duke?"

"Yes, Commander."

"Good. Plot a warp jump to bring us out beside his starboard flank. Let's put him to the test."

"Understood."

As Nova began to smile in understanding, I opened a ship-wide channel. "All hands, brace for a short-range warp jump. Expect the  _ Hyperion _ to be on our starboard flank upon arrival."

"Jump prepared." Jess reported.

"Executing." Nova reported, pulling the warp switch.

Just like that, the  _ Liberator _ jumped forward, emerging with the  _ Hyperion _ at point blank range and with its weapons out of position.

"Switch to disruptor batteries and engage the  _ Hyperion _ ." I ordered. I would have loved to have seen Duke's face at that point. The  _ Hyperion _ had already had one taste of our weapons, but on that occasion, I had been more intent on getting to where I needed to be. Right now, where I wanted to be was taking down the ship we were about to batter.

Unlike the  _ Behemoth- _ class battlecruisers that were the most common Terran capital ship, the  _ Liberator  _ possessed weapons capable of firing in any direction. So, while we could hit the  _ Hyperion _ hard from our current position, they couldn't touch us without some manoeuvring or using unconventional tactics. Watching the  _ Hyperion's _ hanger doors open, I knew he was about to try exactly that.

Before Duke had been recruited on Antiga Prime, the  _ Norad II _ and  _ Hyperion _ had fought each other in a close action. Duke had brought his ship into a similar position to where the  _ Liberator _ now was, where neither ship could bring weapons to bear, and engaged in a boarding action. Mengsk had opened the hangar doors and attacked the  _ Norad II _ with a siege tank, blowing a hole in the ship's hull and forcing Duke to abandon the assault.

Had I been unaware of that little skirmish, or been in a conventional battlecruiser, I might have stayed long enough for it to work against us, either by being caught by surprise, or being unable to evade in time. But I had expected it and the  _ Liberator _ was more than manoeuvrable enough to evade that attack. Swinging up over the  _ Hyperion's  _ hull, I made sure that they still couldn't hit us and couldn't bring anything to bear on us fast enough. Meanwhile, the disruptor batteries were opening up on the ship, shutting down systems left and right. I knew that we couldn't stay long, the rest of the fleet was turning to target us, but I was trying to time our run as well as possible. Finally, several of the Dominion ships were facing us.

"Jason?" Nova asked nervously.

"Just a sec." I replied, my hand on the warp switch and ready to press it. I knew that the Dominion ships would be powering up their Yamato Cannons; if they could waste their shots, it would be ideal. A few of them were starting to fire their laser batteries, which we could shrug off for a while, but the longer we waited, the more the  _ Hyperion _ would be out of action. Already I could see several systems going down. Finally, I saw the signature glow of the Yamato Cannons begin to appear.

"Jason!" Nova yelled.

My eyes narrowed in concentration, then as the first blasts left its source ships and raced for us, I hit the switch. As the  _ Liberator  _ raced back into its original position, I saw half a dozen Yamato Cannon rounds flying without a target in sight. I grinned, revelling in having outwitted Duke again.

I really should have known better.

I had spent so much time watching for the Yamato Cannons to fire, I'd paid no attention to the  _ Hyperion _ itself. If I had looked closer, I might have seen a slight delay between the disruptor rounds hitting and their systems being 'affected'. In reality, the  _ Hyperion _ had not taken any ill effects from the massive bombardment we'd just dished out. Some sort of defence system had managed to absorb the disruptor rounds without being damaged itself. Not that I worked that out straight away.

No, the first I knew that the whole idea had failed was when the  _ Hyperion _ barrelled out of warp right behind us, its own Yamato Cannon charged and ready. I really had to thank Nova later, as her own suspicions had been raised by the amount of time the  _ Hyperion  _ had stood up to our assault. She had been watching the  _ Hyperion _ on sensors and realised they were powering up their own warp drive. She grabbed the controls and barely managed to wrench us out of the line of fire in time. By sheer luck, nothing else had been ahead of us when the  _ Hyperion  _ fired, so its own shot was wasted too. But we still had the problem of now having it within our formation.

Nova's last second manoeuvre had skidded us around just out of the  _ Hyperion's _ line of fire, although I could see now that Duke was turning to follow us. I gave a nod of thanks to Nova, gratitude foremost in my mind. Underestimating an enemy is always a dangerous thing, and it was a lesson I thought I had learned. Apparently not. Taking back control of the  _ Liberator _ , I opened an open channel.

"Two clear, point-blank shots and you still missed, Duke. I think your gunners need some more training."

Duke's voice came back, cold and angry. "Still managed to surprise you though, didn't I, Davis?"

"Surprise is great, but useless if you can't connect, Duke."

"You can't dodge forever, you colonial yokel. Not going to stand and fight?"

I shook my head in disbelief that he was trying to bait me like this. But if he wanted to play...

"Why bother? Let's see how well you can dance, old man."

Bringing the  _ Liberator  _ around tightly, I tried to get in behind him, where our main cannon could come into play. Whoever was piloting the  _ Hyperion _ , however, was exceptionally good, and the ship itself was far more flexible than I had thought. I shook my head: trying to take the  _ Hyperion _ intact was starting to look like more trouble than it was worth.

"Commander, I'm reading power-up signatures from within the shipyards." Jess reported.

My eyes widened. If the fleet here was already prepared for battle, then, while it was good for us if we could take it, it meant we had a major problem in the short term.

"How long, Jess?"

"Likely no more than 15 minutes."

The battle out here would take longer than that. Only a  _ Stingray _ had the speed and firepower to take that fleet off-line now and there was no way that we could spare one. Jim and Matt were both heavily engaged with multiple battlecruisers, and we still had the  _ Hyperion _ on our tail. It wasn't like we could just run in and...

I spun the ship around and risked a look at the shipyards themselves. While they had more than enough room for capital ships to move around at low speed within them, they were never designed for a high-speed run. But the  _ Liberator _ was smaller than a battlecruiser and Duke would have to watch his fire within them, or risk damaging his own fleet. I looked at the sensors. Apart from the  _ Hyperion _ , we were making steady progress against the Dominion fleet, with many ships already drifting. Here too, the fighters were being spared where possible. If we could draw Duke away...

I made my decision. "Selendis, take command of the fleet. Once you're finished, begin Phase 2." Phase 2 was the boarding operations against the enemy ships. "We're going to deal with the ships powering up inside."

I heard a degree of surprise in her voice.  _ "Yes, Commander." _

Under other circumstances, I might have passed command to Jim or Sarah. But given the melee going on, I wasn't sure that they'd be able to keep track of everything. In a  _ Stingray _ , it becomes difficult to say the least, particularly if you lacked experience in commanding a fleet from one. I was sure, however, that some Protoss tactics might not go amiss here. Duke, and his subordinates, would have some trouble dealing with them.

By this time, the two opposing fleets were almost completely within the formations of one another. We would never have a better chance. Throwing power to the drive, I raced for the entrance to the Dylarian shipyards, the  _ Hyperion  _ still in hot pursuit.

Racing to the shipyards, I quickly keyed up a map of the layout. While I had spent a lot of time here and knew them well, having a backup for my memory wasn't a bad idea. Duke would certainly know them just as well as I did. I just had to hope that we could evade him  – and any defensive fire we would encounter  – not run into anything  _ and  _ disable the fleet inside.

Well that was the plan, at least.

As we raced inside, I was half expecting the  _ Hyperion _ to slow. But the pilot was obviously cocky and, worse still, actually had the skills to back it up. If we were able to stay ahead of them, it would only be because the  _ Liberator _ was itself agile enough to take advantage of its smaller size. As it was, the  _ Hyperion _ stayed right behind us.

"Jess, where are those power-up signals coming from?" Nova called.

"Updating tactical display now."

Glancing at it, I called, "Give me the optimal path to them."

A highlighted corridor appeared on the display, a path which I quickly moved to follow. "Any chance you can hack into the shipyard systems?"

"Working on it."

I concentrated on my flying, trying to stay ahead of the  _ Hyperion.  _ Their Yamato Cannon must surely have recharged by now, but Duke wasn't prepared to risk it on anything but a clear and certain shot now.

"How are they able to keep up with us?" Nova asked.

"They did get upgraded with top of the line Umojan tech when Mengsk first got his hands on it. I guess it made it a hell of a lot better than the standard battlecruiser. Plus, that pilot of theirs is  _ good _ ."

"Better than you?"

I grinned at her, enjoying the challenge despite the situation we were in. "I guess we'll find out soon enough."

Any other ship running through here like this would have to take enemy fire and not be able to respond. The  _ Liberator _ could at least use her stern batteries to return fire, so the  _ Hyperion _ didn't have a completely clear run at us. Still, we had to rely on evading enemy fire in order to stay alive, something that was tricky within the shipyards.

"We're coming up on the first set of signatures. Looks like they're in one of the main hangars." Nova reported.

Trying to fly like this inside a hangar, well that was enough to make even me hesitate. We'd have to slow down in order to enter, without being cleaned up by the  _ Hyperion _ , something that was difficult when they were right behind us. Although...

"How close is the hangar entrance?" I asked.

"We'll be at it in 45 seconds." Jess reported.

"Alright then. Everybody had better hold on to something. Nova, get ready on the main battery."

As Nova complied, I kept the  _ Liberator _ dancing around, evading fire but trying to draw the  _ Hyperion  _ up a bit. I needed room around the  _ Hyperion  _ to move, especially below it, if I was going to pull this stunt off.

"20 seconds!"

That was my cue. I pushed the  _ Liberator's _ nose down, ducking under the  _ Hyperion.  _ As soon as we were clear of the  _ Hyperion _ , I threw full power to the reverse thrusters.

The  _ Liberator _ screamed at the mistreatment but held firm as we slid back underneath the  _ Hyperion _ 's belly. Our batteries were pouring heavy fire into it as we went, making their presence felt. As we came back past her stern, I began to balance the engines so we could make the turn into the hanger, also bringing the main battery to bear on the  _ Hyperion _ . Nova did not need to be told, jamming down on the triggers. The battery roared to life, chewing into the  _ Hyperion’s _ stern shields and hull. The  _ Hyperion _ shook, the impact from the blasts at least partially breaching the shield. They began to slow, trying to turn around, but by that time we were at the hanger door and starting to turn in.

As we entered the hanger, it was clear to see the half-dozen battlecruisers inside were well into their start-up sequence. But none of them had managed to bring weapons or shields online. As such, it was like shooting fish in a barrel. Our disruptor batteries engaged, swiftly sweeping across the ships where they lay. By the time the  _ Hyperion _ made it inside, around a minute later, we'd already disabled this group and we're heading for the exit on the other side, ducking through quickly.

One group down and a lead on the  _ Hyperion _ , things were starting to look up at last. Glancing at the sensors, I saw that the remaining groups were placed close together. That would make things a bit easier.

"Commander, I have access to a number of systems within the yard, including defensive and logistical systems." Jess stated.

"Communications?" Nova asked.

"Yes. I've already taken them off-line and am downloading message logs and encryption protocols."

"Good work." I replied, then something else registered. "Did you say  _ logistical _ systems?"

"Yes. I currently have control over several of the hangars and their equipment within the facility."

"Any have the groups we need to disable?"

"Negative, they've proven too well defended for an easy takeover. But I didn't take them for that reason in any case."

"Then why..." A sudden, crazy thought hit me. "Oh, you scheming little witch."

"I thought you'd approve." Jess's voice was almost smug.

"Approve? I love it! Let me know where we need to go."

"Yes sir."

Nova looked at me in confusion. Grinning, I thought about what Jess had in mind. Naturally, Nova read it and her own face split into a grin. "Can we pull it off?" She asked.

"Yeah, I think so."

It didn't take us long to finish disabling the remaining ships, but the  _ Hyperion _ wouldn't be shaken loose. At this point though, that was fine with me. For Jess's plan to work, they would have to be right on our tail in any case.

"Commander, follow the indicated path." Jess instructed.

Moving fast, I followed Jess's instructions to the letter, still trying to evade the  _ Hyperion _ 's fire. The turns were getting tighter as we progressed deeper into the shipyards. I had to admit, I was getting more impressed by the  _ Hyperion _ and her pilot by the second. Keeping up with the  _ Liberator _ in a  _ Stingray _ was one thing, but doing the same in a full-sized battlecruiser was another matter entirely.

"Selendis, how's the battle progressing?" I called into the comm.

_ "The fleet has, for the most part, been neutralised. A couple of hostile battlecruisers are still functioning but should be down within minutes. Phase 2 is well underway. How do you fare?" _ She replied.

"The ships that were powering up are off-line but we're still trying to deal with the  _ Hyperion. _ "

_ "Do you require assistance?" _

"Don't think it would be much good, you'd never be able to find us in this maze. We've still got a couple of tricks left though. We'll be fine. Keep pushing forward."

_ "Understood. Good luck." _

As we rounded another corner, the  _ Hyperion _ finally got lucky. The  _ Liberator _ lurched crazily as one of the laser salvos pierced our shields and slapped into the engines. The alarms swiftly began to blare.

"Damage report." I barked.

"Engine 3's cooling systems have been damaged. Recommend reducing power to 40% to allow repairs." Jess replied.

"No, just shut it down. At this point, we can manage without it and if Duke thinks we took more damage than we did, so much the better. Put the spare energy into the stern shield." I ordered.

"On it." Nova replied, quickly manipulating the controls to make it happen.

While we still had a lead on the  _ Hyperion _ , us losing an engine meant that they had a chance to catch up, which was going to make things even more interesting. The only good news was that we were close to where we needed to go. Speaking of which...

"Ah Jess?" I asked.

"Yes."

"This hangar we're going to?"

"What about it?"

"There's only one way in or out."

"Your point?"

I blinked. "I take it then you don't want us to get out of the way then."

"Just improvise."

I shook my head. "Even the AI is becoming a smart-arse. I get absolutely no respect around here."

By this time, Nova was practically in hysterics. Not that I could really blame her at the moment, but we were still in something of a firefight.

"Head back in the game, Nova."

She just managed to get herself back under control in time for the next salvo. Fortunately, it missed, although the shots were coming closer. With luck though, the  _ Hyperion _ wouldn't have a chance for many more. The hanger was only around a couple of corners, so we didn't have much time left to prepare.

"You ready, Jess?"

"What kind of question is that?" Her voice went snarky.

"A fair one, right now."

She didn't bother to respond.

I could see the hangar entry now, a small door on the right, big enough for a battlecruiser but without a lot to spare. This time though, we had just enough of a lead to take a steadier approach than our last entry. Well, comparatively anyway.

We ended up going through the door almost sideways, with the edge of the opening no more than a few metres from the ship. As we drifted in, I smiled as Nova braced against the control panels and Jess looked reproachfully at me. Dishing out crap is well and good, but you had to take it too, and I wasn't done yet. After all, we still had the  _ Hyperion  _ to worry about. Nova opened her mouth, probably to complain, just as I started to turn the ship around.

For the record, pulling a j-turn inside a hangar with a capital ship, even one as advanced and agile as the  _ Liberator _ , is no mean task. Everyone had to hang on as we suddenly started flying  _ backwards _ inside the hangar. On the plus side, the  _ Hyperion _ was just entering the hangar itself and was staring down our main battery. Nova swiftly opened up with the guns, again engaging with disruptor fire. We didn't expect it to work, just to keep their attention on us for the next few seconds. As the  _ Hyperion _ came fully into the hangar, Jess pounced.

Inside every hangar were a number of powerful transport cranes, designed to secure and transport ships, including battlecruisers, safely. As a precaution, these cranes were designed to shut down the ships’ systems once the vessels were within their grasp. They were also intended to be able to capture a moving ship, even at reasonable speeds. All the ship had to do was move within the target area, and the crane would do the rest.

The  _ Hyperion  _ moved into the target zone just after Jess activated the crane. Duke hadn't noticed its activation lights come on in time.

The crane moved swiftly, snatching the  _ Hyperion _ and bringing it to a standstill. As I watched, slowing down ourselves to avoid hitting the far wall, the  _ Hyperion _ 's systems went off-line.

"Jess, make sure you lock them in for the moment."

"You even have to ask?" came the reply.

Nova chuckled.

I felt a small grin cross my own face as I opened a clear channel. "All Dominion forces, this is Commander Davis. Your ships are disabled, and you have no means of receiving reinforcements. So far, a minimum of lives have been lost. Stand down, and no further harm will come to you."

It took less than a minute for the Dylarian shipyards to surrender.

Walking around the shipyards themselves an hour later, I was pleased to see everyone hard at work. Securing the ships we had taken was time-consuming, and securing the people that had surrendered even more so. I had offered them the chance to join us, although I didn't really expect anyone to take that offer up. To my surprise, several complete battlecruiser crews and entire military units, as well as more than 25,000 other individuals, agreed. While I knew the possibility of moles being among them was rather high, about all I could do right now was accept, put them to work and see what happened. We certainly weren't in a position to refuse willing volunteers, so the risk was just going to have to be borne.

Seeing Jim, Sarah, Matt and Selendis ahead, Nova and I quickly walked over to meet with them. The smiles on everyone's faces were very clear to see.

"Nice to see you didn't manage to totally trash all of it, Ranger." Jim grinned.

"Yeah, I don't have to blow everything up." I replied.

"No, but you just like to." Nova put in. "It's ok to admit it."

I put my face in my hands. "I'm going to be driven mad by the end of this."

"You mean you weren't before? Damn, we're slipping." Sarah said, amused.

I shook my head, then turned to Selendis. "I saw the reports of what happened after I left. Damn fine job there. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I am."

Selendis was luckily aware of my intent and so took no offence.  _ "You did leave me with a lot of good people to work with and take away the enemy commander. After that, it was not particularly difficult to conclude the battle favourably." _

Matt interjected. "I heard you took a hit. Everything alright?"

I nodded. "Yeah, one of the engines took a bit of a beating. Engineers are working on it now, but it's not serious. They don't expect it to take more than a few hours to fix, and we can run without it anyway. Any casualties or major damage I should know about?"

Sarah shook her head. "Keeping the fighters close in on the enemy battlecruisers worked well, plus the short-range jumping kept everyone out of trouble. I think we lost a couple of squadrons’ worth of fighters, and a couple of battlecruisers took some more serious damage, but most of the fleet came away with scrapes and bruises essentially."

Selendis added, seeing I was about to ask her,  _ "No casualties on our side either. A few carriers took a bit of a pounding, but our shields held up well to the bombardment, and it gave us a chance to rotate the forces around, so no one got into major trouble." _

"Good to hear. What's our status here?"

Matt replied, "Everyone's working to get the ships secure, I believe they've just finished taking the  _ Hyperion _ . We've been focusing on it and the  _ Norad II _ , although we have enough people to get a lot of the other ships cleared out."

"Ok, make sure that we don't miss anyone. I want to try and take what supplies we can as well. Equipment, parts, food, water, the works. If it's portable, I want to try and grab it. Make sure at least half the crews are rested though, if we have to leave in a hurry, I don't want everyone to be tired as we try to get out. I definitely want the  _ Hyperion _ and  _ Norad II,  _ taking those ships is just too good an opportunity for us to miss. After that, focus on supplies and ships equally."

"Yes, sir." Matt walked away to continue to help supervise the effort. As he left, another familiar figure caught my eye. A group of Marines was leading Duke and a group of his officers in handcuffs away to be put under guard. I beckoned to them, and they changed direction to approach us. Duke was, unsurprisingly, the first to speak.

"You traitorous bastard."

"Just doing what needed to be done, Duke. Thought you'd have understood that." I replied.

"Mengsk gave you everything, and you turned and threw it back in his face."

"No, Mengsk fed me a bunch of lies from start to finish. It just took me a while to realise it. In any case, didn't you turn your back on the Confederates too?"

"I don't have to justify myself to the likes of you."

I nodded. "Well, that is true. But I am curious as to how you'll explain this to Mengsk. And you can give him a message from me while you're at it."

Duke snorted. I smiled without any warmth.

"You can tell him that right now, he's not at the top of my list of concerns. The Zerg are still the biggest threat around, and we have to stop them before we can go back to our little skirmishes. But that's fine. I have a long memory. Tell him to enjoy his time as top dog. He won't have that place forever."

I leaned in close to him and smiled. "And in the meantime, y'all have a real good day now, y'hear?"

Duke had a good memory too. His face went furious, but I didn't have to listen to him anymore. Nodding to the Marines, I watched them lead him away once more. I turned back to the others. "Well, we've got lots of work and not all that much time. Sounds like we'd better get to it."


	17. The Calm between Storms

"Do it." I agreed. "As for our newest ships, Jim, I want you and Sarah to take over the  _ Hyperion. _ Matt, you know more about battlecruisers than a lot of others, so I want you as their Executive Officer."

They looked surprised but nodded. "Thank you, sir." Matt replied.

"What about the  _ Stingrays _ ?" Jim asked.

"I'm going to give one to Wythes, she's proven herself time and again. Jim, leave yours docked with the  _ Hyperion  _ for the moment, you can throw a crew in there if required. As for the  _ Norad II,  _ I'm not sure just yet. I may end up sending it to Butler, along with a small fleet, so he's got something to defend himself with. For the moment, just get a crew on it, we'll sort out everything else as it comes. Roland, I want you heading that way too when the fleet leaves. It's well past time that ship of yours got some upgrades. Speaking of upgrades, try and make what repairs we can here and now while we have the chance. I know that we'll be trying to get the damaged engine cooling systems replaced on the  _ Liberator _ ."

I changed the tactical display to show New Folsom. "Now for the next stage."

"Just a second." Roland put in. "You always intended to come here first, didn't you?"

I nodded. "Given that by the time I announced our plans, I knew we had spies, I saw no reason not to muddy the waters somewhat. It always made more sense to me to come here first, but not everyone would have thought the same way."

The other captains blinked, although Roland wasn't surprised. "You know we have a spy?" Ryan asked.

"More than one, actually, and I'd be astonished if we didn't pick one up from here too, but it's a risk we'll have to take."

Ryan noticed that Roland wasn't surprised and turned to him. "So how did you know already?" She demanded.

He shrugged. "I got lucky. Picked up a couple of transmissions at odd times that I couldn't read or work out where they originated from. When I mentioned them to the Commander and saw his reaction, I drew the logical conclusion."

"It's one part of what tipped me to it, although I guessed that we had some already. Jess picked up the same transmissions, although I must admit, I'm surprised you managed to detect them at all, Roland."

"I may look like I have an old crate for a ship, but a few of our systems are absolutely top of the line. I figured having sensors and communication gear that were better than anyone else's wasn't a bad move."

I couldn't fault him on that count, although I had to admit to a small remaining amount of doubt. However, Jess had successfully recovered a number of encryption protocols that were used by the Dominion from the shipyard’s computer network and was now running them against the transmissions we had intercepted in the hope of breaking the code at last. So, at least we had some means of spotting a traitor that didn't rely on him.

"Right, back to New Folsom. The defences that are there are rather strong. Mengsk obviously knows we're coming now, and while I hope he's sending most of his fleet here to try and head us off, what's left is still more than enough to be an issue."

As I spoke, Jess brought up a set of indicators, representing the defences the prison planet employed. Air and space traffic was heavily restricted and defended by missile turrets, along with regular fighter and battlecruiser sweeps. The only possible landing site that did not have major physical obstacles to the prison was very heavily defended. Siege tanks in defensive positions, regular marine and firebat patrols, supported by Vultures, Goliaths and Wraiths, with nukes and ghost teams on stand-by. These issues would all have to be dealt with if any attack on the prison planet was to succeed.

"I think we can agree that the biggest issue is to actually land a strike force. Those AA defences make Tarsonis look like a light-weight." Ryan commented.

"Agreed. You've been there recently, any points of interest?"

Ryan manipulated the image to show the far side of the planet. "I did notice a small gap in the anti-air defences here. It might be big enough to land a ground team safely. From there, they could acquire transport and cross to the prison itself."

Collins shook his head. "It would take too long to get there, and they'd pick us up in orbit anyway."

"Knowing Mengsk, I would imagine the place is mined too. Looks safe, but when you land, it's a world of pain." Sarah added.

"What if we went about it the other way?" Nova said quietly.

Everyone looked at her. She shrugged. "The place is a fortress, right? So rather than sneaking in, we launch a frontal assault."

I considered the idea, and it certainly had some merit. I slowly nodded. "That might well work, but we still need to be able to land a strike force, which means clearing out their anti-air defences."

Tamsir looked up from the display at Selendis.  _ "The Arbiters might be able to open up enough of a gap to allow an area to be cleared quickly." _

"But what about the missiles?" Nova asked.

_ "A Carrier drop." _ Selendis said thoughtfully.  _ "If the Arbiters can isolate a number of the turrets, then the interceptors could confuse the remaining launchers for long enough to destroy them and the surrounding defences." _

"Particularly with battlecruiser support." Jim added. "One Yamato Cannon round would be more than enough to destroy a Missile Turret, plus they can stay out of range of their missiles."

"Still leaves the ships in orbit, though." Sarah pointed out.

"There's only ten or so battlecruisers left. We either draw them away and disable or destroy them at our leisure, or the  _ Stingrays _ can pick the battlecruisers off. The fighters would be more of a problem, but certainly not impossible to deal with." Morris pointed out.

"Have to agree with that, sir." Collins said. "It's the ground forces that are the issue, not the orbital ones."

I nodded slowly. "Ok, so we're on the ground, if that works. Then what?"

"Those ground forces are going to be painful to advance against. We'll need air support to do it." Ryan reflected.

"We'll need more than that." Sarah said.

"An infiltration team or two?" I asked.

"Definitely. The more defences we can sabotage, the better. Relying on orbital fire support is going to take too long, they'll have plenty of opportunity to nuke us and little hesitation in doing so."

I brought up a section of the map. "There does appear to be some vehicle storage depots along the route between the prison and the landing zone. If we could take them or at least prevent the Dominion from using them, we would have an easier time. But I imagine we'll still need to do some orbital runs to clear the landing area before we could even think about landing ground forces. Clearing out those tanks is going to be a must."

_ "Carriers and battlecruisers combined would make an ideal counter to any entrenched ground positions." _ Selendis replied.  _ "If we can support them with Scouts and Wraiths, it should prove difficult for the enemy to counter." _

Roland nodded. "Even a pack of Goliaths or massed marines would have trouble with that, sir."

"Agreed. So, we use the air group to push forward, have a couple of infiltration teams to soften up their defences, and the rest of the ground forces can simply mop up any remaining resistance. Jess, you think you can subvert any of their systems as well?"

"It's likely, Commander. I won't know until we arrive, however."

I nodded. "So, we'll need a couple of good teams ground-side. Sarah, this is your area of expertise, so pick a team to take with you. I imagine you'll want to take Jim with you."

She nodded. "It would make sense."

"I agree. Nova, you're with me."

The others looked at me with some surprise. "You're going yourself, sir?" Matt asked.

"I'll be needed there more than in the air." I replied.

_ "I have a suggestion and a request to make." _ Selendis interrupted.

"Go ahead." I said.

_ "We have a number of warriors whose skills would be useful for the infiltration teams. They may be of use there." _

"Agreed. What was the request?"

She looked me in the eye.  _ "I would like to accompany you myself." _

The room went silent. Tamsir was staring at Selendis with surprise, while she looked at me coolly.

"It would be an honour." I replied quietly. "Ok, I think that about wraps it up, people. Everyone who took active part in the battle should get some rest for the next 6 to 8 hours. We've still got a lot of work to do, so let's get it done."

After giving the orders, I followed my own instructions and turned in. For once, no dreams disturbed me, and I was actually able to get a decent amount of sleep and wake on my own. As I prepared to face the day, I called Jess. "Morning, Jess. Anything I need to know about?"

"No, Commander. All systems are running normally, and the operation is proceeding slightly ahead of schedule."

"Good to know. What are we up to?"

"At the moment, our tally of secured starships stands at 42 battlecruisers, 300 transport ships of various types, 1500 Wraiths, 500 Dropships and 30 Science Vessels. We have also secured 24 regiments worth of equipment and the supplies we have gathered are calculated to last a minimum of 18 months. The limiting factor is obviously the perishables, though, our supply of parts and raw materials should last significantly longer."

I whistled. "Quite a haul for a day's work. How about our own repairs?"

"Engineering reports that the new systems have been installed, they're finishing pre-loading tests now. It will be right to use within the next half-hour."

"Any sign of a Dominion response?"

"Negative, Commander. There have been no detected forces within the system, nor have any scans been focused on our position."

I stopped. "Nothing at all?"

"No, Commander."

I shook my head. "That's not right. Can you get into the shipyards’ sensors and communication systems?"

"I have been maintaining access since our takeover."

"Nothing on them either to raise our suspicions?"

"No, Commander."

I frowned. "Get everything up on the tac room, I'm on my way."

As I walked out, I saw Nova emerging from her own quarters. She took one look at my face and became serious. "What's up?"

"I'm not sure yet."

As we walked into the tac room, I saw that Jess did indeed have all sensor data for the surrounding area. As she said, there was precisely nothing on them outside of the planet and the shipyard, since all our forces were still within the docks themselves. Nova looked at the screen. "Looks like we're clear at the moment."

"Yes, but why? Surely the Dominion would have scouts around here, in preparation for an assault." I stopped. "Jess, can you bring up our view of New Folsom as well?"

The image shrank to half size, and the view from the Observers at New Folsom came up beside them. I looked closely but saw nothing out of place.

"Jess, get me Selendis and run back through our historical data from our Observers, both here and New Folsom."

"Understood."

I turned to Nova. "Talk to Sarah, tell her to start getting everyone ready to move out. We've got enough."

She nodded and began to focus.

"Commander, Master Selendis is on the line." Jess reported.

"Thank you. Selendis, by some chance, do your Observers record transmissions as well as sensor data?"

_ "They do, although I must admit, we haven't gone through them recently." _

"Well, let's do it now. Jess, I want you to help with that. We need any transmissions decrypted as soon as possible."

"On it."

Selendis looked at me.  _ "Is something up?" _

"The Dominion's been noticeably quiet since we took here. Too quiet for my liking. I want to make sure they don't have something up their sleeve."

She nodded.  _ "Can you get Jess to forward the decryption protocols you have for the Dominion? It could speed things up." _

"Transmitting now." Jess replied.

As this was happening, I was running back through the historical sensor data, watching for anything that seemed out of place.

"Selendis, are your Arbiters ready to bring us to New Folsom?"

_ "I ordered them to prepare a couple of hours ago." _

"Are you still in contact with them?"

_ "Yes, of course." _

"Get them ready to bring us out on a moment's notice."

_ "Will do." _

Nova opened her eyes. "Sarah's giving the orders, although she seems a bit confused."

_ "That makes two of us." _ Selendis said.

"Call it gut instinct, but I think we've pushed our luck far enough. Either the Dominion is coming here, or going to New Folsom. Either way, we're running out of time."

Suddenly Nova leaned forward, slapping the pause key on the recording at New Folsom. "What's that?"

I leant forward and realised what she'd just seen. A group of battlecruisers, barely entering the range of the observer but staying just long enough to plot a course before jumping into warp.

"Jess, can we work out a possible source and destination for that group?"

"It would appear that they came from New Folsom. The first system that appears along their outbound vector is Dylar."

Nova and I looked at each other. "Keep running the recording."

As we watched, more and more groups of ships did exactly the same thing; they left New Folsom and jumped towards Dylar. "Jess, how long ago was this?"

"This recording was taken approximately 96 hours ago."

My eyes widened. 96 hours was just about how long it would take for a normal battlecruiser to transit between New Folsom and Dylar. So, depending on whether what spies I had had communicated the fact that we went to Dylar before New Folsom back to Mengsk or not, the fleet may have turned around... or it could be just about to arrive.

"Jess, signal battle alert and get everyone launching ASAP. Bring up the shipyards’ sensors and go active. I don’t care who notices, we need intel and we need it now." I ordered, turning to head up to the cockpit."

"Affirmative."

As Nova and I slid into our chairs, I could see the fleet, already in power-up mode, beginning to assemble to lift off. I was glad that the  _ Liberator _ 's systems were still hot; it meant we could get out fast. Looking over the displays, I saw that the engines were back to full capacity, something that I was very glad to know. I could also see the  _ Hyperion _ and several other ships already lifted off. Moving quickly, I slid the  _ Liberator _ through the various shipyards and back out into space.

"Jess, anything yet?"

"Negative, Comm-. Wait."

She paused, then continued. "Long range sensors are picking up ships in warp inbound on this position."

"ETA?"

"10 minutes to the closest safe drop-out point. After that, they'll be at our position in 5 minutes."

I opened a channel to the fleet. "Let's hustle, people. We got incoming, around 15 minutes out. Get back out to the entrance and form up, ready to move out. New Folsom awaits us."

Within a couple of minutes, the  _ Hyperion _ had pulled up on our port flank, and Selendis's command carrier had taken up a mirroring position to the right. The rest of the fleet was swiftly emerging behind us, forming up tightly as they went. Still, things were going to be close. At the rate we were assembling, it would take about 10 minutes to get everyone into position for the recall.

Unfortunately, the Dominion fleet, or so I assumed, was about 6 minutes out from the warp drop-out point.

I led the fleet around, moving into deep space away from where the Dominion fleet was coming, picking up speed as we went. I wasn't keen on another fight here, so all we could do was try and buy time.

The last of our ships emerged from the shipyards just as the Dominion fleet emerged behind us. They quickly turned to acquire us, although thankfully, we remained out of range for now. Still, all we needed to do was get close enough to each other for the Arbiters to get everyone.

"All ships, come around to course 275, up 62." I ordered. Coming around onto that course would give the stragglers the best chance of catching up, whilst still moving away from the Dominion fleet.

"Everyone stay tight. Do not engage." I continued. Beside me, Nova was quietly communicating with Selendis, working out how soon we could recall. Meanwhile, the Dominion fleet was continuing to bear down on us. Time was quickly running out.

"We will be in firing range of the enemy fleet in 30 seconds." Jess warned.

Glancing at the sensors, I could already see it was going to be close. But finally, we reached the required density.

"Commencing mass recall." Nova reported.

Around us, the view went to white.


	18. Hell it's about time

As the view outside reverted to deep space, I breathed a sigh of relief. That last scramble had been far too close for my liking. Looking out, I could see New Folsom in the distance, although we were still outside of their sensor range. Unless a patrol stumbled upon us in the next few minutes, we should be fine. Opening a channel to the fleet, I began to give orders.

"Alright everyone. While there are a lot of criminals here, Mengsk has also now imprisoned those who speak against him, or will not follow him, within New Folsom. They're the people we're going to try and free. If we can recruit them too, so much the better. Ground forces should prepare for deployment. Starships, your combat assignments are being transmitted now. We should be able to breach the AA and orbital defences relatively easily, but the ground forces will be harder to beat. So, stay alert and let's get the job done."

As I finished, Jess sent a text message indicating that the fleet had made it into attack formation.

"All ships, prepare to jump on my mark."

I gave everyone a few seconds to get ready. "Mark."

The fleet smoothly raced forward for a few seconds, emerging practically in front of a Dominion battle group. Unsurprisingly, they didn't seem too happy to see us and not at all reluctant to let us know that fact. Their weapons swiftly turned to face us.

"Dominion forces, this is Commander Jason Davis. I strongly suggest you surrender."

Their only reply was to begin laser bombardment and start powering up their Yamato Cannons.

I sighed. "Amateurs. All ships, open fire."

Not quite every ship in our fleet had an angle on the enemy battle group but enough did. Every one of the battlecruisers went down without managing to fire their Yamato Cannons, and the fighters didn't fare any better. As we cruised through the wreckage, I felt a degree of remorse that this was necessary. For the greater good might be a nice ideal, but it still required bloodshed, something I had seen more than enough of and I knew I would see a lot more. Over the other side of the planet, I could see two more groups moving to intercept. I ordered Collins, Morris and their respective task forces to deal with them, instructing them to ask for their surrender first. I then turned my attention to the planet below.

"All Dominion forces, you are outnumbered and out-gunned. Surrender now and no further harm will come to you."

"Go to hell." was the only reply I got.

I shook my head despairingly. "All forces, begin our ground assault." Taking up positions above the prison itself, I watched as the Arbiters swiftly began to disable the missile turrets, allowing the carriers to take them off-line. Meanwhile, the battlecruisers were taking long-range shots with their Yamato Cannons, knocking out other missile turrets.

The  _ Liberator _ itself had a different target, namely the specialised sensors that would be capable of detecting an infiltration team that existed within the Comsat Stations. Within 10 minutes, we had cleared out a landing zone and could start advancing on the ground. Turning control over to the relief crew, Nova and I went back to get prepared for our own part. Thanks to Sarah, I had arranged a little surprise for Nova.

"A ghost suit?" Nova asked, stunned.

I grinned. "Well, I can't exactly let you go down there in shorts and t-shirt, can I?"

Nova stepped forward and gently touched the suit, obviously in disbelief. "How did you get this?"

I laughed. "How do you think? Sarah brought it over last night, said you were ready for it."

Nova turned, shock evident on her face. "She said that?"

I nodded. "You really think I'd be letting you do this if she didn't think you were up to it?"

Nova's lips moved but no sound came out.

I grinned. "I'll let you get suited up; I need to get ready myself. See you in the cargo bay."

Walking back to my own quarters, I couldn't stop grinning. Nova might like the fact that she's being treated like a Ghost now, but I'd nearly guarantee that she wouldn't like how I was planning to get down.

It didn't take long to get suited up, and Nova was already waiting for me when I got down to the cargo bay, almost bouncing in excitement. Of course, I still had one last present for her.

"Well, don't you look all flash now." I commented, looking at Nova in her new suit. I wasn't joking either, she looked  _ very _ good in it and it did give her a feel of more maturity.

She grinned back.

"Looks like you forgot something, though."

"What?" She started to look panicked. I chuckled.

"Pretty poor excuse for a Ghost with no gun, don't you think?" I opened a case I'd brought with me from my quarters and opened it to reveal a modified C20A rifle, several clips of ammunition and a pair of combat blades.

Nova's jaw dropped open as she looked at her weapons. I smiled. "Come on, Nova. We got work to do."

With a noticeable effort, she pulled herself into line, fastening her rifle to her back, then magazines and knives to her belt. Job done, she turned back to me, pulling on the helmet that could go with the suit, leaving the goggles on her belt.

I smiled. "Jess, open the hatch."

A quiet rumbling sound filled the bay, as the cargo bay door opened. Given it was also night and we were trying not to draw attention to ourselves, the main bay lights went out, leaving the bay in semi-darkness. Nova looked around, surprised.

"Aren't we a bit high up for that still?"

I grinned as I closed my visor. "Not really." I started walking towards the open hatch, then turned back to look at her. "Well, come on. We don't have all day."

Slowly, Nova walked over to me, not looking quite so excited anymore. "So, are we sniping from up here or we going to land really fast?"

I laughed, picking her up so she was clinging to my back. "Can't, not unless you want to let everyone know we're here. This is the best way."

"What is?"

In answer, I turned towards the open hatch.

"Oh, you can't be serious." Nova whispered.

"Hang on, sweetheart."

With that, I flung us out at around 10,000 metres. Nova's screaming rang over the private comm frequency we were using for the first thousand. Fortunately, after that, she calmed down and settled for a death grip on me. It was about that time when I snapped the collapsible wings out into position. After another short, startled scream, Nova began to relax a little and I even heard her giggle.

"You enjoyed that, didn't you?" she finally asked.

"A little. If you're going to do this for real, then you have to be prepared for anything. I did say that I'd need to give you some training too, remember?"

"If all your training is going to be like this, then I think I've still got a lot to learn."

"Well you wouldn't expect to learn everything so quickly, would you? And keep the chatter down. I don't think they can pick us up, but let's not give them the chance."

Nova quietened, letting me concentrate on my flying. At the moment, we were still diving, but I'd seen our way in. There was a cliff on the south side of the prison access road, something we could use to cover our approach. Angling further south, I began to pitch up, so we didn't ram straight into the ground. It was going to take a couple of sweeps to get our approach right, so we had a chance to watch the rest of the assault begin. Troops and vehicles were starting to be landed, already engaging the defenders with the skill I would expect from veterans. The air support we had in place was going to be sufficient to hold the landing zone, but I could see the Wraiths and Goliaths starting to scramble and head our way, so we couldn't count on uncontested skies for much longer.

Sweeping in down below the cliff, I arced around and began to head in, aiming for a quiet section of the access road. Relying on my memory, I swept up over the edge of the cliff, collapsing the wings and landing as quietly as possible. Nova swiftly jumped down, drawing her rifle and removing her helmet, as I powered up my own weapons. Activating my comm, I reported, "We're down."

Sarah's voice came back. "On final approach now."

"Got it. Selendis, let us find somewhere out of sight and warp in on my mark."

_ "Understood." _ She replied.

Moving quietly, Nova and I headed for a nearby building. We quickly discovered it was one of the security control offices for the access road, controlling a set of nearby gates. It was also manned, of course. Four marines were standing guard, while half a dozen others manned the consoles. Despite the alerts, they obviously had not been paying attention to their screens, else they would have seen us coming, and probably have locked the door.

They all had matching looks of shock as Nova and I charged through the door. I remembered to shut the door, as we didn't want to draw attention to ourselves before absolutely necessary. In the following melee, I got to see exactly how well Sarah and Jim had trained Nova.

She dived straight into the room, racing under where the marines were turning to aim. Before they had a chance to adjust, she was on them, both combat blades flashing before she leapt over the first two, burying the blades in their heads. She obviously trusted me to keep the remaining guards from shredding her. That was at least something I could do. A quick burst from the jump jets took me straight into the middle of the enemy squad, clearing them off Nova and giving her a chance to get back in the fight. She didn't hesitate, lashing out with her foot, breaking one marine's leg, then following up with a vicious punch to the face, knocking him out. In the chaos, she took the opportunity to retrieve her blades, swiftly dealing with another marine.

At this point, I'd managed to disarm the remaining marines, knock one out and take on three others in a close-quarters fight, leaving two for Nova. It was too tight for me to use my sword, so instead I was using a pair of short blades built into the suit, parrying the marines' blows. Seeing an opportunity, I grabbed one of the marines, throwing him into the two still trying to rise, making all three easy prey for Nova. By the time I had dealt with the last of my opponents, she had silenced her opposition, ensuring that we now controlled the access road and its defences for at least part of its length. Even better, we had managed to do it in just 25 seconds. I could see why Sarah thought Nova was ready. Smiling, I keyed my comm.

"Selendis, we're all ready for you now. How are you doing, Sarah?"

"We're moving up the northern side, just about to secure a point for the rest of our team to come in."

As I replied, Selendis and her team began to warp in. "Good to hear. We've taken one of the security control offices. I'll leave a couple of people here to hold it while we move up."

"Got it."

With two of Selendis's zealots guarding the office, the rest of us quickly but stealthily crept up the road, avoiding the Dominion reinforcements heading towards the fighting at regular intervals. Finally, we reached a holding yard, where dozens of Goliaths were being stored next to a pen of low-security prisoners. Staying out of sight, we watched the patrolling guards.

"So, any chance we can break them loose?" Nova asked quietly.

"Going to be tight. Those guards are pretty alert, plus that Science Vessel is an issue." I replied.

_ "They also have Ghosts." _ Selendis added.

I looked at her. "You sure?"

_ "Very. They are not as powerful as Nova or Sarah, but they are certainly present." _

"How many?" Nova asked.

Selendis closed her eyes, concentrating.  _ "No more than 5." _

My eyes narrowed. "5 Ghosts for low-security prisoners? Something isn't right."

Selendis looked at me.  _ "What do you mean?" _

"Ghosts aren't exactly common, so why does Mengsk have 5 of them guarding this one pen? Cloaked or not, this smells like a trap."

Selendis and Nova nodded slowly. "So, what's the plan?"

I keyed my comm. "Jess, any chance you've breached any of their systems yet?"

"I have access to a few systems, but nothing critical."

"Anything in or around the Goliath low-security compound?"

"Lights and alarms, but nothing else."

"That might be enough." I replied. "Selendis, can you keep track of those Ghosts precisely?"

She nodded.  _ "It will take me out of the fight, however." _

"We only need you to do it for a couple of minutes. After that, they're all yours."

_ "What do you have in mind?" _

"Revealing those Ghosts." I replied.

"How?" Nova asked.

I grinned at the team. "Anyone feel up to a little climb?"

"When you said there was going to be a little climb, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind." Nova grumbled.

"It's not easy being relied on." I replied.

"So why exactly didn't you use the jump jets?"

"And have anyone within a kilometre see us? You must be joking."

We were currently scaling one of the surrounding platforms, getting above the enclosure. Below us, waiting for us to get to the top, were a pair of High Templar and a group of 6 Zealots. We were still barely outside of detector range, although things were getting close. We'd have to time this very well to pull it off. Finally, we reached the top, locking a pair of ropes onto the railing so we could help the Protoss up. Thankfully, they were faster with that assistance, and within 30 seconds we were all up top. Moving quickly, we headed for the roof's edge overlooking the prisoners, thankfully unoccupied. The Science Vessel was concentrating on the area where a land force would have to come through, and the Ghosts were also on the ground. I had expected to find at least one up here, but thankfully Selendis gave us the all clear.

"Ok, here's the plan. I don't expect that they'll be able to get a force up here fast enough, but if they do, I need you to hold them off." I said, looking at the Zealots. "When Jess sends the lights into overdrive and sets off the alarms, I'm going to try and take that Science Vessel. They're normally lightly manned, so it shouldn't be a problem. If I get it, I'll take out the Ghosts if possible and generally cause some chaos."

I looked next at the High Templars. "Once that happens, I need you to create some copies of the Science Vessel, confuse them. A couple of Psionic Storms wouldn't hurt either."

They nodded. I looked at Nova. "You got your part worked out?"

She smiled. "Sniping and lock-downs where needed. What if you get locked down?"

I smiled. "That's why Selendis is keeping track too. And if all goes to plan, then I can hit them with an EMP. They'll be easy targets after that."

"Fair enough. Good luck."

"Ok. Jess, hit it."

I really should have known better than to trust that everything would go to plan.

The lights and alarms certainly got attention. Every Dominion soldier around the compound went onto full alert, quickly snapping up into attack postures, aiming towards the compound entrance. As I took off across the roof towards where the Science Vessel was spinning around towards the perceived threat, I had hoped that I would make it unnoticed by the ground troops and that the Science Vessel would be focusing on the entrance, like everyone else. This time though, I wasn't that lucky. The Science Vessel spotted me quickly, although I was able to get close enough to jump on before they could get too friendly. Irradiation was not a colour I was very partial to. But the 20 seconds it took me to take the ship proved to be too long. I raced up to the controls, only to find one of the ghosts had managed to lock me down.

So, bad news, I was in a ship that right now could do nothing.

Worse news, I was getting shot at.

Worst news, the Dominion soldiers were starting to bring the Goliaths online.

This was now officially FUBAR.

Still, the lock-down wouldn't affect me forever, and I might be able to get an EMP off in time, so I dived for the control console. So far, the ship was holding up to the onslaught, but once those Goliaths started shooting, I'd be going down fast.

Trust Nova to save my ass.

She waited for the first pair of Goliaths to power up, then managed to lock them down with a single shot. She really was proving to be exceptionally good. It was obvious that the Ghosts hadn't expected her, as they spent valuable seconds trying to find her. But with the Protoss raining fire down on them, the chaos proved too much for them to succeed. The other problem with that idea for them was that they weren't looking my way when the lock-down failed.

Despite the fact that I couldn't fire, I was still able to use the ship's targeting systems, which meant that I could queue up a pair of EMP missiles to fire as soon as the lock-down was lifted. I knew roughly where the Ghosts had been positioned, so I could have them roughly aimed. In perhaps the first bit of luck for this plan, I was very close to their real position, so I could launch almost immediately. By the time they realised that I was free, the EMP's were too close for them to have time to lock me down again, or to escape the blast radius. Nova didn't make any mistakes taking them out.

While Nova was demonstrating just how good a shot she actually was, I was running into trouble myself. Another pair of Goliaths had come online, and they were wasting no time in sending missiles my way. I had no real chance to block them, nor did I have enough energy left to activate the Defensive Matrix that might have protected the ship. One way or another, this ship was going down.

Of course, that didn't  _ necessarily _ mean getting shot down.

While I could crash the ship down right there and then, destroying the defenders, it would likely also light up the Goliaths and rip through the compound, killing everyone around it. But up ahead near the main entrance, I could see massed groups of defenders, as well as a few nuclear silos. If I could get the ship to make it that far, then we would have a much easier time once we got there. Leaning over the console, I programmed the course and speed in, then locked the controls and blasted them for good measure. There was now no way to stop the ship from the inside.

Glancing back out of the viewport, I realised that the ship was still capable of more speed than I had expected; already it was nearly halfway to the base entrance. I knew I didn't have the time to get back to the hatch I'd used to enter the ship, so opted for simply breaching the hull around the viewport. Even so, I barely got out before the ship came within range of the defences scattered around the entrance. Flaring the jump-jets, I tried to put as much distance between myself and the ship as I could. I had just managed to get clear of the blast radius when the ship, flaming and nearly torn in two, hit one of the nuke silos. The resulting explosion tore through the defences, eradicating nearly half of the forces the Dominion had available and drawing everyone's attention.

"Jason!" I heard Nova scream over the comm.

"Settle down, Nova, I'm not dead yet." I replied, trying to reassure her.

"What the hell was that?" Jim asked. "I saw that from here."

"The defences around the entrance just suffered a catastrophic malfunction. Science Vessel navigation systems are so unreliable."

"You crashed a  _ Science Vessel _ into the defences?"

"Yeah, hit a nuke silo, which caused a bit more of a blast than I intended. Still, we're alive so far and the Dominion's taking a hit. Nova, I'm headed back to your position, what's your status?"

When Nova spoke again, she was a lot calmer. "All the Ghosts are down, but the marines and Goliaths are still putting up a big fight. We've managed to stop them activating any more but we’re going to need some help here."

As she finished, I could see the battle raging below. If anything, she was understating the problem. "On my way." I replied. Activating my MPACs, I quickly opened up on the marines, pouring fire down from an unexpected angle. A couple noticed and tried to shoot me down, but hitting a moving target has always been hard. Landing on their flank, I moved to pour more firepower into their lines, only to see a sword rushing up at me.

Seeing someone else wielding a sword was a total shock for me. I'd seen Ghosts using combat knives and marines using similar weapons and bayonets, but never another terran using a sword. I barely managed to duck under the blade in time, and then draw my own sword to parry the next blow. Opposite me was obviously a Ghost, although whether he had managed to avoid the carnage or had just arrived, I wasn't sure. His face was hidden behind his helmet, so I couldn't recognise him in any way.

"So, the famous Commander Davis finally decides to show up." He snarled.

We circled around each other, watching for an opening. This time, I knew I had the disadvantage. Duelling a Ghost was always difficult and the way that he held his sword, I was sure he was as good as me, or better. All I could do now was try to survive long enough for the battle around us to be won. I gave the battle a quick glance, seeing Selendis and the Zealots charging into close combat against the marines, while the rest of the Protoss, aided by Nova, managed to keep the Goliaths busy. Looking back at my opponent, I was slightly surprised he hadn't taken advantage of my distraction.

He chuckled. "You should never have come here."

With no further warning, his blade slashed up and I barely parried it. There was no doubt now; this man was a master swordsman, and, by comparison, I was an amateur. Still, skill is never everything in a fight, and I had no plans to die yet. I took a step forward, activating my suit's psi-screen as I went, not wanting to give him even more of an advantage. Both of us raised our swords, ready to strike.

If I had been smart, I probably would have run from this fight. I didn't need to fight it, and I really shouldn't have considered fighting it. This time, though, I wasn't that smart.

His sword slashed down, ready to cut me in two. I danced right and brought my own blade around horizontally. He too side-stepped the blow and spun his own sword back up. I parried it and stepped back. He advanced and began to strike with a vengeance.

I had no time any more to pay attention to the battle around us; it was all I could do to simply deflect his blows. But it was obvious that while I was coming close to my limits, he was simply toying with me. That particular feeling was not something I was used to, and I worked out that I didn't care for it one bit. I needed to try and focus, come up with a plan, but this Ghost never gave me the chance. Right now, surviving was as good a plan as I could use. I might have been able to put slightly more power behind my blows, but he was faster and more agile. If I were to have a chance, I needed to change the rules.

Behind him, I suddenly saw Nova, Jim, Sarah and Selendis fighting back to back, being hemmed in by the Dominion troops. Time suddenly slowed for me, or so it seemed.

Just as I was on the verge of losing my battle, they were about to lose theirs.

If I didn't have the Ghost blocking me, I had a clear shot at the troops surrounding them.

I could save them or try to kill the Ghost.  _ But I couldn't do both. _

There was really no choice at all.

As time sped up again, I shoulder-barged the Ghost, throwing him off balance. Bringing my MPACs up, I targeted the Dominion troops and opened fire. The sudden fire took them by surprise, and gave my friends an opportunity to carve out some room to work with. The troops fell, but as they did so, I realised I had lost track of the Ghost.

I saw Nova look over at me, and her mouth open in horror. There was only one possible explanation.

_ The Ghost was behind me. _

I stepped to the side, bringing my sword and guns around to try and intercept him. This time, however, I moved too slowly.

His blade stabbed right through my armour, piercing my right side and coming out through my ribs. I couldn't be sure what damage it had done, but as the pain flooded me, I knew I was out of the fight now. I heard his voice.

"Sorry, Commander, it's nothing personal. But you're just too dangerous to let live."

Breathing was becoming much more difficult. Still I managed to find enough breath to reply.

"You're a fool. I'm easy to replace." I nodded over towards where my friends were standing, shock obvious in their expression. "They aren't."

"Maybe, but I'll settle for you. Enjoy." He pulled the sword out of me, and I lost the strength to stand. As I fell to my knees, I saw Sarah and Nova charge psionically towards me, weapons blazing. Selendis was right behind them, blades ignited and eyes furious. Jim too was charging, his rifle screaming fury. I could feel the Ghost behind me turn and run and when the firing stopped, I guessed he'd either cloaked or been killed. Nova skidded to a stop beside me, the others not far behind. She fell to her knees and I could see her lips moving but I couldn't hear a word. I managed to smile.

"You take care, you hear me? Trust in each other."

Then darkness claimed me.


	19. What comes after

_ As light returned, I was aware of a few things that made no sense. _

_ Firstly, I was alone, and it was silent. Secondly, there was nothing else around at all. But perhaps most importantly, I didn't hurt any more. _

_ As I stood up, I realised I was dressed in my casual clothes, rather than the ABS. Nothing was making sense, except for one possibility. _

_ "So, this is what death looks like." I said to myself. _

_ "Not exactly." I heard another voice. _

_ Spinning around, I saw an indistinct shape, although I could recognise it as being humanoid. It was almost familiar, although I couldn't work out why. _

_ "What do you mean, not exactly?" _

_ I heard a chuckle. "Well, you are not dead. Not yet at least. Although you are incredibly lucky to be alive." _

_ My eyes narrowed. "So, if I'm not dead, then where am I and who the hell are you?" _

_ "Nice to see you finally decided to ask the important questions." _

_ "Yeah, but I can spot an evasive answer at 50 paces. Do I need to ask again?" _

_ The figure laughed. "No. Where are we right now? In your mind." _

_ "My mind?" _

_ "Indeed. The only time I can reach you is when you are not actively using your mind, such as when you are unconscious." _

_ "Or asleep." I growled. "It's been you planting these dreams, hasn't it?" _

_ "I was wondering when you were going to get to that." _

_ "I've had a few other things on my mind at the moment." _

_ The figure laughed and even I saw the irony. "Such as running a revolution, keeping those you are responsible for safe and working out how to bring down two of the biggest threats to all life?" _

_ I frowned. "I would have said the two biggest, actually. It almost sounds like you're suggesting there is something worse out there." _

_ "Indeed. I am glad to see you are as quick as ever." _

_ "What could possibly be worse than the Zerg and Mengsk, unless the Zerg managed to infest Sarah, Nova or both, I guess?" _

_ "Never assume things can never get worse." _

_ "Then tell me. What are we facing?" _

_ "I will. But I cannot maintain this connection much longer. We must meet, and soon." _

_ "You still haven't told me who you are." _

_ "No. That will have to wait as well." _

_ "Then how can I trust you?" _

_ "You will just have to take a chance." _

_ "Taking a chance on something like this?" _

_ "Is that not what you have done before? You took a chance that Jim was right to pursue the Zerg at Backwater Station. You took a chance that joining the Sons of Korhal was the right choice to get your people off Mar Sara. And what about rescuing Sarah and Nova, your little ops to Shiloh, Dylar and New Folsom, what would you call that?" _

_ I was silent. In truth, I couldn't really argue with the logic. A lot of my recent career had, from a certain point of view, been based on taking chances. _

_ "You see. You've taken chances and they've come out right." _

_ "Not all of them." I replied quietly. _

_ "If you are talking about that last little duel, I would have to ask what you were thinking. Taking on a Ghost like that? Are you crazy?" _

_ "That coming from the voice in my head?" _

_ There was another laugh. "I suppose I deserved that. But the question stands." _

_ I thought for a second. "Perhaps it wasn't my smartest ever move, but it stopped him from killing anyone else, didn't it?" _

_ The voice turned thoughtful. "I suppose it did. You kept those around you alive, and it also gave me a chance to contact you more directly." _

_ I scowled. "You didn't give that Ghost a little helping hand, did you?" _

_ A degree of anger trickled into the voice. "After what I have done to keep you, and those around you, alive? No, I did not. To be honest, I did not need to. He was skilled enough to take advantage of your distraction." _

_ "Are you complaining? As you said, it kept everyone alive and let you talk to me. Sounds like another chance that went right." _

_ The figure was silent, but I could feel its amusement. I shook my head in chagrin. _

_ "Hoist by my own petard." _

_ "As you said, it went right. It was the right call, both then and now." _

_ I looked directly at the figure. "I guess there's no choice then, is there? Where?" _

_ "Go to where your paths first came together. You, Sarah, Jim and the Protoss. You will find me there. But come alone. What I have to tell you is for you only." _

_ As darkness began to fall once more, I managed one last question. _

_ "You still haven't told me who or what you are." _

_ "You will not mistake me for anyone else. When you find me, you will know." _

This time, the darkness took longer to lift. I could feel, smell and hear long before I was able to see.

The first thing I could sense was pain. The right side of my body felt like it was almost on fire. The rest of me was aching, but by comparison, I could barely feel it at all. After that, I could just feel a warmth in my hand that wasn't from me. I guessed someone was holding my hand, but it was difficult to be sure.

The next thing I could perceive was smell. Mostly, all I could smell was the sterile smells of a hospital room, which was no real surprise. But there was also a faint smell of blood, and a slight fragrance I couldn't immediately place.

After a while, I became able to hear things around me. Above all else was the regular beeping that I recognised as a heart monitor, along with other medical equipment. I could also recognise the faint rumbling of a ship under power. I was familiar enough with that particular sound to recognise it. With that, I knew that I was in the  _ Liberator _ 's medical bay. It did make sense when I thought about it, but it was still good to know it for sure.

Underneath, I could also faintly hear voices.

"I'm getting worried." Nova's voice came from close by. "I thought he should have woken by now."

"Give him time." I recognised Jim's rough rumble. "That was a hell of a wound, it's a wonder that he's alive at all."

"He's a tough bastard, I'll give him that." Matt's softer, more formal voice was clear too. "Anyone else would be dead already."

"You can thank Nova for that too." Sarah's voice was filled with emotion. "I never knew that psionics could be used to heal someone, or at least keep them stable. Seems you're as full of surprises as the rest of us, Nova. That's definitely one you can keep."

"I don't know how I did it, it was just instinctive." Nova said quietly.

"I always told you to follow your instincts." I managed to whisper.

There was utter silence in the room for a few seconds.

"Jason!" Nova screamed, gripping my hand tightly.

I opened my eyes slowly, to find her leaning over me, with the others crowded around. All of them wore relieved smiles. I had to admit, it was damn good to see them.

"How long was I out?" I asked quietly.

"Over a day." Nova said softly. "You scared the hell out of us, Jason. What were you thinking?"

I managed to raise an eyebrow at her. "You think that I was thinking?"

Jim chuckled. "Yep, same old Jason. You'll be up and about in no time."

I chuckled, then groaned as the pain made a fresh reminder of its presence. "Might have to take a rain-check on that, Jim. I take it that the battle is over then, since you're all here, instead of doing your jobs?"

Nova rolled her eyes as Matt replied. "Yes sir. That little number you guys pulled, along with that little stunt at the main entrance, knocked the fight out of the Dominion. We routed them not long after that."

"Good. At least something turned out right." I paused as a sudden thought occurred to me. "Anyone know what happened to that Ghost I was fighting?"

Sarah shook her head, a flash of anger appearing in her eyes. "The bastard cloaked as soon as he saw us coming. More than that though, he managed to hide himself mentally as well. Selendis and I both searched for him straight after, but we couldn't find him. There's a few Dominion special op ships missing too, we think he took one of them."

I sighed. "You're probably right, and if he stayed, then we're not likely to find him unless he reveals himself. We'll have to just wait and see."

"You think we'll see him again?" Jim asked.

"I'd be stunned if we didn't. He was  _ very _ determined to get me out of the way. How many people did we lose?"

"For once, it was a fairly light tally. About 600 dead, and about the same wounded. The Protoss took lighter losses though. But we did pick up a lot of new recruits. A lot of the people we freed are very willing to join up." Sarah reported. "We've offered to drop the others off somewhere out of the way but closer to civilisation when we leave."

I nodded. "That is a fairly light toll, all things considered. Good idea with the transport, we can afford the time. How are we going, getting them organised and amalgamated into our forces?"

"That's taking some time, but we think we'll have everyone sorted out in the next few hours."

"That's good, I don't want to stay any longer than necessary." I paused as another thought struck me. "Jim, Butler said he put your friend Tychus here. Did you find him?"

Jim nodded. "He was fairly messed up, but still alive. He's recovering on the  _ Hyperion. _ "

"Good, I'd like to meet him later."

Behind them all, I saw the  _ Liberator _ 's doctor come in. She didn't look particularly pleased to see so many people gathering around me.

"All right, everyone out now, give the man some air. I've got a patient to look at."

They looked at me. I chuckled. "Don't look at me, not like I can counter things right now. Go on, I'm not going to drop dead on you."

Amid much grumbling, they all filed out, but Nova refused to move, and surprisingly the doctor didn't order her to leave. I raised an eyebrow.

"You don't get rid of me that easily." She replied.

"I think you worry too much."

"And with good reason, Commander." The doctor put in, looking at the scans. "Well, I think you need total bed rest for a week as a minimum and then-"

I interrupted. "Doc, you even think about keeping me in here for a week, and you'll have a lot more patients."

She glared at me. "I don't believe it was a request, Commander."

"And I can't afford to take that much time off. I'll stay here for a day, but after that I'm going back to my quarters." I winced slightly as I moved. "I'll take it easy for that week, but I can't simply drop everything right now."

"Does this look like a negotiation, Commander?"

"No, a negotiation would imply that I'm willing to give ground." My eyes narrowed. "There's still too much to be done."

Nova offered. "I'll watch him. If there's a problem, I'll call you."

I looked at Nova, ready to tell her what I thought of that idea. She shot me a look that said quite clearly to shut up.

The doctor looked unhappy but nodded. "I guess that's acceptable. But the instant you step out of line with that, you're coming back here. Understood?"

I never quite got why doctors had to be seen to have the final say, but I did know that this was as good as I'd get. "Understood."

She nodded, looking at the charts. "If you're going to abide by that, then you can go back now. If you feel up to it."

At that point, I'd have joyfully crawled if it meant getting out of the med bay.

I ended up needing Nova's help to reach my quarters, but I was glad to be there. Just getting out of the med bay was an achievement, and I could at least work from my own quarters. Still, it was obvious how weak I was, so I had no intention of going against the Doc's orders right now. Nova helped me across the room, but to the bed rather than my desk as I had originally intended. The glare I shot her was utterly ignored.

"There is no way I'm letting you sit up right now, and you can work just as well from your bed as from your desk." She said quietly but firmly.

_ 'Why is arguing with women such a pointless pastime?' _ I thought to myself.

"It's not as pointless as arguing with a psionic woman." Nova snapped.

"Dammit, do you have to listen to everything?" I complained.

"Right now, yes, so I suggest you get used to it." She sat down on the bed beside me, looking serious. "Jason, you scared the hell out of us. The doctor said that you were about 5 minutes away from being beyond anyone’s help. That is way too close for anyone's liking. Add the fact that no one could get into your mind while you were out, and we thought we had lost you anyway."

I blinked. I hadn't realised I was quite that close to the edge, but of greater importance right then was the fact that perhaps the greatest psionics around hadn't been able to see into my mind. Whether that was due to my state at the time or the fact that my visitor had locked everyone else out, I wasn't sure. Nova's head snapped up.

"Visitor?" She asked, her calm starting to crack.

I decided against trying to tell her to stay out of my head and instead opted for an explanation. After all, I had promised her I would tell her if I had any more dreams.

"You remember those dreams that I've been having?"

She nodded. "You had another one while you were out? What was in it?"

"I'm not sure that I can describe it." I hesitated, unsure about the next step but I could see no other option. "I think you'll have to see for yourself."

Nova's eyes widened. "Are you serious? I thought that-"

"I know what I said, and right now you need to see it all. If they're accurate, then we have a bigger problem."

Nova nodded slowly. "Close your eyes then. Concentrate on what you remember."

I followed her instructions but began back at the very first dream I had experienced, stepping from one to another. It seemed that my subconscious had stored the dreams better than I thought, for I had no trouble remembering them like this. For nearly 15 minutes, the pair of us watched what I had seen. Finally, it ended, and I opened my eyes.

Nova looked shaky. "That was quite vivid, especially that last one."

"You're telling me. There was nowhere near the mucking around that there has been there. In fact, it was downright blunt."

"Yes, I noticed that. Any idea who or what that figure or voice might be?"

"No. I was hoping you might have some ideas on that count."

She shook her head slowly. "It didn't feel human, but even on that, I can't be sure. If it's Protoss or Zerg, it didn't feel like any I've ever encountered."

"Oh well. I was hoping I might be able to have some knowledge before meeting with this being, but I guess not."

"So, you are going to meet with them, then?"

I looked down. "I don't think there's a choice. If it is a trap, then it's one laid by someone far more powerful than we can comprehend right now. If it isn't, then at the very least, they might prove to have some information that we are going to need. At best, we might end up with a powerful new ally."

She nodded. "Given what they've done so far, I don't think they're an enemy right now, but being careful is still vital."

"Things were too simple anyway."

She looked at me seriously. "I'm going to go get my things. Don't even think about doing anything stupid, OK?"

I wasn't all that surprised at the idea that she was moving into my quarters, at least for the moment. I rolled my eyes. "Got it."

She smiled and left. I lay back on the bed. "You there, Jess?"

"Of course, Commander. Welcome back."

"Good to be back. Anything important I miss?"

"I believe you have been filled in on the major developments. Master Selendis has been asking after you. I believe she wishes to see you."

"Tell her she can come across. It might be wise to talk to her in any case."

By the time Selendis had arrived, Nova was in the process of setting up a spare bed and arranging her belongings. Selendis looked somewhat surprised at this activity. I shrugged.

"Part of the deal I had to make in order to get out of the med bay and start getting back to work."

She looked at me seriously.  _ "I suspect you should still be there." _

"Probably, but I don't think I can afford the time to sit around. The war's still going on around us, we can't afford to have anyone idle. I can work and recover while I'm here."

She looked unconvinced but didn't argue. _ "How do you fare? The last I heard; it was still unclear whether you would recover." _

"Everyone keeps telling me it was close. It hurts like hell, but I can manage it for the moment. I doubt that I'll get back to full strength for a while though. Nova can probably give you a better idea, I didn't pay that much attention and I don't really care to know at the moment."

Selendis took a moment to look at Nova, busying herself.  _ "She is a remarkable young woman." _

"You can say that again. From what I'm told, I owe her my life, probably a couple of times."

"I'll add it to your tab." Nova called.

I shook my head in amusement. Even Selendis chuckled. Nova took a moment to ask me telepathically.  _ "Are you planning to talk to her about what you've been seeing?" _

I paused for a minute. I had considered the idea, but I wasn't yet sure. To buy me some thinking time, I asked Selendis. "How's Tassadar faring? I haven't heard much from him recently."

_ "He continues to pursue the Zerg wherever possible, but it still appears they are pulling back somewhat. He was grateful for the information you provided and the support your Captain Jackson continues to provide." _

I nodded. "Good. I'll have to talk to them both soon, at the very least to discuss how we are going to keep working together. Given our increased strength, I think it's likely that we can spare some additional forces to support his mission.

She looked somewhat gratified, if surprised, at that.  _ "Are you certain?" _

"Yeah. We've got a reasonable force together now. It's wasteful to keep running everyone together as a single unit."

_ "And what of Kerrigan? If the Zerg are still after her, then they are likely to attack us to take her, if they get a chance." _

"I know. But if the full might of the swarm comes at us, and I think that they would in order to get her, I doubt anything we have will be able to push them back. The best chance then is to stay in small groups and on the move, only combining when necessary. Before that though, I do want to try and find somewhere quiet, where we can pause for a short time. We do have more than a few people that we've lost to pay our respects to."

Selendis nodded.  _ "I will consult with my navigators, see if anything is likely to fit that." _

"Thank you." I hesitated, then pressed ahead. "Is it possible that you have some engineers that might consider working with our own?"

She looked at me sharply.  _ "Why do you ask?" _

"We do have  _ Terra Firma _ , after all. I was planning to send some ships for repairs and refits, but it also occurs to me that there may be a lot we can learn from each other. Your technology is, obviously, far more advanced, but I think we've got a couple of things you might be interested in. I did notice at Tarsonis that you weren't repairing damaged structures or vehicles, simply relying on your shields."

She nodded slowly.  _ "Again, I can ask, although Executor Tassadar is a better person to talk to on that count. For myself however, I must admit to being interested. While we can repair structures, it requires warping them back out and warping in replacements, we simply cannot make the repairs on the battlefield. That may prove to be a useful ability, given how your forces have used it to such effect." _

"I'll make sure to bring it up to him then. I think we both know that we cannot stand against the Zerg without uniting, and given that, it makes sense to strengthen both our forces as much as possible."

_ "Indeed." _

I finally mustered my resolve. "Selendis, what would you say if I told you that I had been warned about what was going to happen on Tarsonis?"

She looked confused.  _ "What do you mean?" _

"The night before that battle, some entity, I have no idea who or what, sent me a message in a dream. It predicted almost everything, except in it, it showed Kerrigan destroying your forces, then being overrun by the Zerg and abandoned by Mengsk."

Selendis looked dubious. I sighed. "I know I'm not presenting this particularly well, but it's what happened. Nor has it been the only dream I've had regarding this war."

Nova, fortunately, chose this moment to intervene. "He might sound crazy, Selendis, but he isn't. I've seen what he was shown, and it certainly would appear to be real."

Selendis looked at her.  _ "Can you show me?" _

Nova glanced at me. I nodded.

While Nova showed Selendis, I concentrated on the other little aspects of what had become my job. The main thing was working out a priority to the tasks stacking up. More than a few ships required refitting, and others could certainly use upgrades. I also had the worries of supplies, tactics, targets and the general problems of keeping a force that now numbered close to a quarter of a million people in fighting shape. I had barely made a dent in organising it all when the two women finished. Selendis looked rather shocked.

_ "I can see why you mentioned this. Are you planning to meet this person?" _

"I think I'm going to have too. It's risky, yes, but it's riskier to not go."

_ "Indeed. While I do not like this, I find I must agree." _

I nodded. "While I can see Tassadar would likely need to know of this, I would appreciate this not going any further than those of us here."

_ "Not even James Raynor and Sarah Kerrigan?" _

"Yes, not even them. I have a feeling that this relates to Kerrigan in some way, and I'd rather have the full story before I decide what to do."

Selendis stood.  _ "Very well. Take care, Commander and thank you." _

After Selendis left, Nova and I stayed busy with our varying tasks. Shortly afterwards, Selendis contacted me to suggest an isolated world named Demon's Fair. It had previously been inhabited by a group of breakaway Protoss, but they had long since left. It was a rather peaceful looking world, and an ideal place for what I wanted to do. She also informed me that Tassadar was also intending to meet us there.

Once Jim informed me that everything was ready for us to leave, I told him of my proposal and Selendis's suggestion. Unsurprisingly, he was happy to follow the idea. I instructed him to get us moving there. I had had more than enough of New Folsom and was keen to move on to what we had to do.


	20. Forging the Sword

During the trip to Demon's Fair, I had a lot that I wanted to try and get done. Given the force that we now had, managing it was going to become a major issue. I needed people that I could trust to run a battle group, and that, unfortunately, was something that was in short supply. Yet, without them, I couldn't hope to maintain anything like an effective force.

There was also the continuing issue of the moles within the fleet, both known and unknown. I expected that we had picked at least one or two up during our last operations, in addition to our existing ones, and I couldn't effectively spread the workload out as I needed to until I had, at the very least, isolated the moles into a small group.

On top of  _ that _ , I needed to maintain effective relationships with the Protoss, which meant I needed to be able to trust my people to work with them, and vice versa. Both of our last missions would have been far costlier without their support, and I had no intention of forgetting that, or forcing the Protoss away.

Of course, given that, according to Nova and the doctor, I was still confined to my bed, or at the very least my quarters, it made a lot of this difficult. Still, I could lay the groundwork for what I needed to do. Among the first things I did was place a call to Butler.

"So, what is it this time?" He grumbled.

"Nice to see you too." I replied coolly. "You always answer calls the same way? Never think to mix it up a little?"

"Why waste the time and effort? Speaking of which, I see you made so much effort that you didn't even bother getting out of bed before calling."

I closed my eyes. Butler was a good and loyal man, but sometimes I had a major desire to take a disc with lessons in manners and insert it manually into him. Where exactly I planned to insert it depended on my mood.

Nova interrupted. "Jason is currently confined to bed, on doctor's orders."

Butler smirked. "What did you do, trip over your little toe?"

Nova stared coldly at the screen. "He got run though by a Ghost."

Butler blinked, for once completely without something to say. I didn't need to be a mind reader to understand the expression currently playing on his face. It clearly was one of someone that had just realised how much they’d put their foot in it. Both Nova and I elected to wait for him to recover.

"What the hell happened?" He finally managed.

"Pretty much exactly as she said. You know we just finished at New Folsom, right?"

At his nod, I continued. "During the battle, I ended up in a sword fight with a Ghost and came off second best."

"Damn. I'd ask what possessed you to do something so stupid, but I do know you would have had a good reason."

I nodded. "Aside from that, things went pretty well. We got a lot of good people out, and we have the ships and equipment for them. Plus, you should have seen Nova there, Wilkes."

"She was good?"

I took a moment to look across at Nova. "Wilkes, she blew good out of the water. I've seen Kerrigan in action, and Nova was almost as deadly. Given she doesn't have the years of experience that Kerrigan has, she is going to be one hell of a fighter when she gets that experience."

"Heh. So, our little girl has some teeth, huh?"

I smiled. "She leaves us old warhorses for dead. Do _ not _ mess with her. She even has some tricks Kerrigan and the Protoss have never seen before. I owe my life to her, at least a couple of times."

Nova was alternating between blushing and revelling in the attention.

"So, what do you need?"

"I'm curious about how much progress you've made, but mainly I called to say that we're all going to Demon's Fair. I'd like you there too."

"Why me?"

"We're having something of a remembrance ceremony. We've lost more than a few good people, and we need to give them the respect they deserve. It also helps to remind everyone about what we're fighting for."

"That I can well understand, but knowing you, there's another reason as well."

"Yeah, you caught me. We need to sort out what forces we have into a better structure, and there's more than a few ships that are going to need some work done. I could use your help sorting it all out."

"Ok, hotshot. We'll be there. I'll fill you in on what we've got done when we get there. You said that you had been to New Folsom. You didn't happen to set Findlay free, did you?"

I smiled. "I haven't seen him, but yes I believe he's with us. Jim said he wasn't in wonderful shape though."

"Hmmm. I had a feeling Raynor would persuade you to get him."

"We never actually discussed it, but I wanted to get him anyway. Jim speaks highly of his skills, and anyone that can cause you that much trouble is worth looking at."

"I agree. I may not like the guy, but if he's directed at Mengsk or the Zerg, then he might just be a very good person to have on your side. Just keep a good eye on him, ok?"

"I never intended to do anything but. Jim's proven himself to me. Tychus will have to do the same. Have to admit, I'm surprised at you. Thought you'd rather die than see him get out."

He paused, and I could see the turmoil in him. "As far as I'm concerned, he's an animal. But I thought the same about Raynor, and you and Nova vouched for him quite forcefully, plus how I saw him in battle now is very different to what I expected, given my last run-in with Raynor. I might have been wrong about him, which means I could be wrong about Findlay too. But still, be careful."

After I finished speaking with Butler, I worked my way through the list of possible moles. Jess had detected another transmission while I had been in surgery and had again managed to isolate the section of the fleet it had come from. This time, Roland hadn't reported it, although he was nowhere near as close this time around. But we were at least making progress. The new position had cut the list of possibilities down to around 5 ships, but one name, in particular, had caught my attention, and concern.

_ The Hammer. Collins' ship. _

I had known Collins for years, even dating back to the Confederacy. I had difficulty believing that he might be a spy. I'd never even considered the possibility that he might have other loyalties. But, given that his name was continuing to come up time and again, I had to take it seriously.

"Jess, have you had any luck cracking those transmissions yet?"

"No, Commander. They have proven highly resistant."

"The routines we stole from Dylar haven't helped?"

"Not yet. They appear to be an older model of the same routine though."

"Ok. We've eliminated Roland as a suspect though, haven't we?"

"Yes. The last transmission did not originate from near him."

"Good. Get him on the line. Flag it for his eyes only."

I waited for a few minutes, as calls while in warp space were difficult, particularly if both ends were at warp speed. Finally, Roland's image appeared in front of me.

"Commander. I thought that you were still off duty for a while. This must be important for you to call like this."

"You could say that. I wanted to ask you about the time when I wasn't with the fleet. You seemed to have a lot of concerns."

"You have laid those concerns to rest, sir."

"Maybe, but it was something else I wanted to know about. Did you pick up any other transmissions you were concerned about while I was away?"

Roland frowned, then turned to his console. "I'm not sure, let me check."

I waited for a few minutes while he worked. "There was one, sir. I'm not sure about it, though. It could have been an authorised transmission, but I didn't have the clearance to decrypt it, or the inclination to try."

I raised an eyebrow. "Not even simple curiosity?"

"You know the saying, sir?"

"I do, but that doesn't stop people being curious. Anyway, could you trace it back to a source?"

Roland continued to work with his console. "No sir, it proved too faint to really home in on."

"Can you send me what you got, as well as the probability cone of ships it could have come from?"

"Transmitting now, sir."

I waited for the transmission to finish. "Talk to me, Jess."

"The transmission itself does appear to match other transmissions we have detected in the routine style."

As Jess continued her analysis, Nova began to look over the names of possible source ships. She silently pointed. The  _ Hammer _ was still on the list, and as we compared it to our own probable sources, it quickly became clear that they were the only possible source. I looked up at Roland. "What were your impressions of Collins?"

Roland looked stunned and more than a little wary. "Collins, sir?"

"Yeah. He was in command of the fleet while I was away, you would have had to deal with him a lot."

Roland looked unsure. "Off the record, sir?"

I raised an eyebrow. This didn't sound good. "Yeah, go ahead."

"I was more than a little disappointed in him. He didn't really do much to stop some of the other captains having some serious discussions about why they should be trusting you. I have to admit, I felt the same at the time. But I've seen him in action before we split from Mengsk, and he was a different person then to now, sir."

"We have all just had a hell of a shock, Roland."

"I know, sir, but he seemed... unable or unwilling to work to hold the fleet together." He hesitated, then continued. "He may not have been the best choice to lead in your absence, Commander."

"I'm starting to think that myself. How close were people to leaving, do you think?"

"I think another day may well have seen a lot of people go."

I leant back, surprised. I didn't realise things had been quite that close. While I was still confident that we had needed to get Butler on our side early, the cost that had very nearly been paid for it was alarming.

"Thank you, Roland. You've given me a lot to think over."

"You're welcome, sir. I'm assuming you don't want this mentioned either."

I shook my head. "For the moment, at least."

"Yes, sir. If I may ask, do you suspect...?"

"That Collins is the spy?" I finished. "I don't know. His name does keep coming up, but so do more than a few others. It could be that he is simply out of his depth. But we need to be sure."

Roland nodded and cut the transmission. I turned back to Nova. "Your thoughts?"

"It would explain a lot. I was a little surprised at how quickly things fell apart in the fleet without you, Jim and Sarah around. They did seem to get sorted out quickly too when we re-joined the fleet."

"They did, didn't they?" I leant back in my desk chair, since Nova had finally relented and let me return to my desk. "Perhaps a little too quick?"

"Maybe. We still don't have any proof, do we?"

"Not unless we can crack one of those transmissions. Jess, is there any chance of breaking the encryption?"

"It's possible, but not simple, Commander."

I frowned in thought. "Concentrate on the earliest transmission that Roland picked up."

"Yes, sir."

Nova looked at me. "Why that one?"

"According to what Roland sent us, that message was sent within minutes of our little discussion where we outlined the possibility of strikes against Dylar and New Folsom. It's the earliest that anyone within the fleet could have been aware that we intended to target them. Unless Mengsk messed with things purely on the off chance, we might have a chance of breaking that transmission with the Dylar codes."

"Worth a try." She mused. "Still something of a long shot, isn't it?"

"I'm open to other ideas."

Nova thought for a second. "Well I have one, but you're not going to like it."

My eyes narrowed. I was fairly sure I knew what she had in mind, and damn right I didn't like it.

Given we couldn't do anything more about Collins, if he was the spy, until we arrived, I focussed back on trying to work out how to better manage what forces we had. Given the forces we had, I intended to split our forces up into 8 separate battle groups, with a ninth to protect  _ Terra Firma _ . Butler could handle the command of that battle group, while Jim and Sarah could take one and I intended to leave one under my own command as well. But there were another 6 battlegroups that required commanders that were trustworthy, in terms of their tactical skill, leadership, as well as loyalty to what we were fighting for as a group.

I would probably have made Collins one of them, but even without his questionable loyalties, I had doubts about his skills and leadership, particularly after what Roland had said. Either way, it made him unsuitable, which was a major blow.

Roland himself was another possibility, although he was largely untested in terms of commanding more than just his ship. It was something I would have to keep in mind, and it was one thing I wanted to discuss with Jim, Sarah and Butler once we arrived.

Jackson was also a likely candidate. While I hadn't spoken to him since I assigned him to Tassadar's forces, the reports I had got back, both from Tassadar and Jackson himself, did speak as to a leader much like I would have wanted. I could simply increase the size of his force, with some of the ships and crew we'd picked up from New Folsom and Dylar. I had already planned to mix the forces up as much as possible, knowing that we would function together better if any divides were broken down quickly.

Both Ryan and Morris had proven themselves relatively capable in their own operations, scouting out both New Folsom and Dylar respectively. Like Jackson, I could simply increase their forces. Still, it was a potentially dangerous move, although I did believe it was the best one.

Even with them however, I was still two commanders short. While I had toyed with the idea of promoting Matt to another ship and giving him a battle group, I wasn't completely certain he was ready for such a position, and I knew that Jim needed someone as good as Matt for some of the more unorthodox strategies and tactics that he was likely to try. Sarah was a possibility, but I wanted to leave her as something of a free agent, knowing most of her experience was ground based special ops, rather than combined fleet and ground assaults.

In the end, I couldn't really come up with any clear candidates, although there were a few names that were possible. I elected to have two task forces assigned to both Jim and I and made sure that those people I was looking at promoting were assigned to my task force. I could still send them on smaller missions and determine if they were going to be up to the task later. It wasn't exactly what I would have preferred, but at this point, it was going to have to do. I did decide to offer Matt one of the task forces, however. While Jim probably needed him more, he did deserve the chance at least. If he accepted though, I did still plan to keep that task force close by.

Leaving aside the issue of the task force commanders for now, I started going through the list of ships and personnel that currently comprised our standing forces. I was aiming for a task force to consist of a dozen battlecruisers; complete with fighters, dropships and ground forces, a similar number of what we called 'carriers', ships designed primarily for hauling smaller ships and ground forces across inter-stellar distances, around two dozen of the more specialised Science Vessels and a group of eight ships dedicated to resupply operations. Of course, the  _ Stingrays _ did make this somewhat more complicated, plus the fact that the  _ Norad II _ should really be designated as a command ship rather than a regular battlecruiser also added to the difficulty. I still needed to find a dedicated captain and crew for her, given that she had simply had a skeleton crew placed on her at Dylar. I still intended to keep the  _ Liberator _ as my own flagship, rather than transfer to a battlecruiser, so giving the  _ Norad II _ to one of the other commanders, or to Butler, made the most sense. The problem was working out who exactly.

Finally, Nova decided that I had done enough. In her own delicate and subtle way, she made it clear that I was stopping for the night, and she would help with that if necessary. Looking at the tall blond wrath of nature; capable of flattening me against the wall with a thought, I opted not to accept her help and turned off the monitor. Leaning back in the chair, I winced slightly as a degree of stiffness, along with my healing wound, reminded me of their presence. Still, it had significantly improved over the last few days, so I couldn't really complain too much.

I reflected privately on the fact that Nova was acting somewhere between a big sister and a mother figure. She had certainly grown up a lot just since we'd met again on Tarsonis, and even more since when I had known her before. She had acquired a sense of confidence that had been lacking from the girl I had known before. But reconciling the shy girl I had known before the war, the caring woman that she was currently displaying, and the deadly warrior that I knew her to be, was proving to be a difficult task.

"Huh, you really think so?" Nova said, turning to face me.

"You know, I really should be used to dealing with telepaths by now. But do you think I can manage the idea that everything you're thinking can be heard by the person next to you?"

Nova grinned. "I suggest you get used to the idea."

I snorted. "At least I didn't have Jim's luck when he met Sarah."

Nova raised an eyebrow.

I explained. "When the three of us first worked together, Mengsk sent Sarah down to Antiga Prime to scout out ahead, while Jim and I took a landing force down after her. When we met up, we'd all never met before. So, the first time Jim sees Sarah-"

Nova laughed, "She's in one of those skin-tight Ghost suits that leaves very little to the imagination."

I laughed with her. "Naturally, he couldn't help but have a few, ah, improper thoughts and forgot she could see them."

"What did she do?"

"Called him a pig. Once he realised what had happened, he backed right down and got focussed on the job at hand. I knew right there that they were going to be a hell of a team, but there was a time when I wasn't sure how things would go personally. Jim's been very withdrawn for a while personally."

Nova looked confused.

"Jim had a wife and son, once. His son ended up being psionic, got recruited into the Confederacy Ghost program. Jim was full against it, while his wife didn't think it could be as bad as Jim though. He died; the official version is a shuttle accident."

"'Official version'?"

"I saw that excuse getting used a lot, and I didn't believe there were that many dud pilots, or faulty shuttles. I never looked into it; the damage was already done. His wife never forgave herself for not believing Jim, fell sick later that year and never recovered, or didn't want to recover. Within the space of a year, Jim had lost the two last people that he cared about most. Oh, he still had friends, but all his family were gone. Mike Hammond and I did our best, but we never really were able to pull him completely out of it."

"But Sarah did?"

"Took a while, but yeah. After he learned she was a Ghost, it took a while for him to warm to her. But as time passed, they softened towards each other. She'll still call him a pig at times, but he knows her too well now to take her seriously on that."

Nova nodded, thoughtful. "What about you? Did you ever find someone?"

I was surprised at the question, but I really should have expected it. "Never met the right person. Didn't help that I was trying to hide who I was for most of my life. I know enough to know that honesty is an important base to any relationship. Now, too late to start and too busy in any case."

Nova leant in and kissed my cheek. "You might be surprised." She stood and looked at me. "Thank you for telling me that. Seems you can still tell a good story."

I smiled. "You're welcome. Night, Nova."

As we both rolled into our beds, the lights dimmed, although my thoughts were still running wildly. Telling Nova about Jim and Sarah had given me a lot to think about, and then there was that last little cryptic remark. More things to think over, and I still had my existing problems. I hadn't even thought about Kang today and...

I sat up straight as an idea hit me, then regretted it as my wounds complained at the sudden move. In the dim, I could see Nova roll over and look at me.

"What?" She asked.

I smiled in the dark. "I just worked out how to deal with Malcolm Kang."


	21. Clearing the Decks

Nova stared in blank shock. "Really? That's what you're thinking about right now?"

I frowned. "It just came to me, that's all I can say. Just running from one thought to another and that came up. No idea why."

Nova shook her head. "You have a very weird set of priorities, you know that?"

"I guess so. Fair enough. I'll see you in the morning then." I replied, lying down and rolling over to try and get some sleep.

The lights came on, I felt a weight hit my bed, and I rolled back to find Nova staring at me from 2 feet away. "After dropping something like that, you think you can just go to sleep and leave it until the morning to tell me?"

"I figured you'd already read it." I smiled, not able to resist a tease.

Nova's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You know that I try not to read minds, particularly yours."

I sighed. "Budge up, then and I'll tell you."

Nova moved over slightly but stayed on the bed. "I'm waiting."

I raised an eyebrow. "Your patience seems to be missing in action." I continued before Nova could lose her temper. "We know that Kang is working for the Umojans. We also know that the Umojans have been supporting Mengsk. The question is, do they know the full extent of what he's done?"

Nova gave me a confused look. "Your point?"

"My point is that it might be a good idea to fill them in."

Nova blinked. "How are you going to do that?"

"I'm not. I'll get Kang to do it for me."

Nova got it. "Dangerous isn't it? Letting them know you know that Kang works for them?"

"A little, but I don't have to personally visit them to let them know. Kang's battlecruiser has a direct link back to Umojan high command. I can use it to talk to them."

"And how do you convince Kang to let you?"

"I'd say that I have some leverage right now, wouldn't you? Even if I simply sent him away, he would still have to explain how he got caught to them. I'll decide what I do about Kang personally after, depending on how things go."

"You know, that might just work." Nova said thoughtfully.

I smiled, then winced slightly as my wounds reminded me of their presence. Nova noticed, of course. Before I could say anything, she forced me to lie back down, then to my astonishment, slid in beside me and lay against my back with her arms around me.

My mind went almost blank with shock, as she snuggled in close.

"What are you doing?" I finally managed to ask.

"Not what you think I'm doing." Nova replied, amusement plainly obvious. Playfully, she continued, "Although I'm not opposed to the idea..."

Hints did not come much more obvious than that. I couldn't deny that Nova was attractive, or that her suggestion was extraordinarily appealing. But I wasn't sure that it was the best idea right now. Fortunately, although Nova undoubtedly could see what I was thinking, she gave me the chance to reply.

"Certainly is a tempting thought, and you don't make it easy to say no."

"But?" Thankfully, Nova's voice was still light.

"I think we both need to think to think it over. Rushing isn't always the best idea."

"You're always over-thinking things, aren't you?"

"Let's just say I'm speaking from experience."

"Sounds like there's a story behind that."

"Not really, just been around for a while."

"You're not going to tell me you're worried about your age, are you?"

"Maybe a little." I replied honestly.

"Well, I'm not. But I can live with taking things slow."

I chuckled. "We'll see. So, what are you up to then?"

"Ever wonder why Ghosts and Protoss heal faster than normal people?"

"Sarah's mentioned it, but I've never really thought about it."

"It turns out that psionics constantly emit low levels of psionic energy. They can use that energy to boost their healing rate subconsciously."

"Makes sense when you think about it."

"Well, it turns out I can project that effect a little. No one is exactly sure how or why, though."

I grinned. "So, I'm your guinea pig, then?"

"Can't hurt to find out." She sniggered.

Truthfully, I was touched that she cared so much to do this. "Thank you."

"Good night Jason."

_ My eyes opened to a familiar scene, but with one major difference. _

_ "Jason, are we where I think we are?" _

_ "Nova?" _

_ "Yeah. Looks like I'm here for the ride this time." _

_ "You certainly are." Another familiar voice rang out. _

_ Spinning, I saw the figure that had spoken to me while I was recovering after New Folsom. _

_ "You know, I didn't expect to see you until we actually met." I said, wary. "I'm not sure that this bodes well." _

_ "Your instincts are well-honed, although things are not as dire as you might expect. I am surprised, however, that you chose to share what transpired between us with others." _

_ "Hey, you said not to bring anyone, you never mentioned not telling anyone." _

_ A chuckle echoed throughout the space. "Indeed. Trust you to find a way around. On this occasion, however, it may have been for the best that you did so." _

_ I blinked, surprised. "That's not what I expected." _

_ "You expected me to be angry? I admit, I was for a short time. But then, you have rarely chosen to follow the rules, and it has normally worked for you." _

_ "How can you know all this?" Nova put in. _

_ "Because, Nova Terra, I have been watching you all for an exceptionally long time. Your little band of rebels now holds the potential to direct the sector, and the fate of you and your friends will dictate how the war that is to come will play out. I did not expect your rescue, Nova, particularly not at the hands of Jason. It was one possibility I never factored in, and yet it may prove to be one of the most important acts in this war." _

_ "But this isn't about Nova, is it?" I replied. "It's been about Sarah. It always has, and you made sure she didn't know that you had spoken to me. Why?" _

_ "You are right, and wrong. My interest is primarily in Kerrigan and I did ensure she learned nothing of our conversation. Just as you suspected that this involved her and chose not to talk to her. But Nova's presence has changed much. Guard her well, Jason Davis, for she may prove to be precisely who you need in the years to come." _

_ Nova and I glanced at each other, neither particularly comforted by the figure's words. Looking back, I replied, 'You love giving us the mysterious riddles without any clear answer or information, don't you?" _

_ "I tell you what you need to know and what I am able to tell you in the time available. You know where to find me. Bring Selendis and Tassadar with yourselves if you wish, but you must make haste. I sense the Zerg are preparing another assault against you, and other, darker powers are also beginning to make their moves. I am not the only being with an interest in you, Commander." _

I started, what interest in sleep I had had vanished. Nova too seemed to jerk suddenly.

"That really happened, didn't it?" She asked quietly.

"So, you did see that dream too, huh?"

"Yeah. Why exactly do I have a bad feeling about this?"

"Being told the Zerg are getting ready to come after us isn't exactly the best news we've ever heard. I think we're going to have to find a way to get free of the fleet for a bit and find out exactly what this person wants."

I felt Nova shiver. "Are we sure this is a good idea? Whoever that was, I think they were suppressing their full power and it still was enough to blow both Sarah and I out of the water. If we got into a fight with them, I don't think we'd win. Do we really trust them?"

"I don't think we have a choice. One way or another, we need to find out what they're going on about, and what they want. The Zerg is enough of a headache, and this talk of other powers is making me nervous. If they really are starting to make their..."

I stopped as a memory from New Folsom hit me. The Ghost I had fought and lost to.

_ "Sorry, Commander, it's nothing personal. You're just too dangerous to let live." _

I blinked. as a chain of logic began to extrapolate from that memory. Nova squeezed tighter, watching my thoughts follow through the logic.

We hadn't managed to identify the Ghost.

He could shield his power sufficiently to hide from Sarah, Nova and the Protoss.

He had shown a great interest in taking me out of the picture.

On their own, this wasn't a major surprise. We certainly didn't have records on every Ghost that had served the Confederacy or was linked to the Sons of Korhal. The Dominion, and Mengsk, would obviously have a great interest in taking me out of the picture. But hiding his presence from a pair of PI 10 Ghosts and dozens of Protoss? That called for some serious skill and power, and I was reasonably sure that we would have records on Ghosts that good. Either that, or Sarah would have recognised him.

So, if he didn't work for the Dominion, who did he work for?

I rolled over, looking at Nova. Even in the dark, I could see the realisation in her eyes.

"I think we might just have the first bit of evidence to back up our mysterious friend." She said quietly.

Neither of us slept particularly well for the rest of the night, but I was able to notice a lessening of the discomfort where I had been stabbed. It seemed that Nova truly was capable of healing others, although I wasn't sure if such close proximity was really required. Of course, at this point I wasn't going to complain, either. Neither of us began to move until Jess informed us that we were coming up on Demon's Fair. As we got up, I could really feel the difference, and told Nova as much.

"Did you doubt me?" She asked teasingly.

"Definitely not now." I kept my voice light.

"Good." She leant in and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. "Doesn't hurt to have a little faith."

Whatever she had done to help me heal, it had been enough that she even agreed that I was up to flying again, something I was delighted to be able to do. So, I was in a good mood when I got into the cockpit. The relief crew was somewhat relaxed, something I could understand, given we were in warp, although they quickly livened up when they realised that I was there. Waving away their hurried salutes, I settled into one of the back seats, not wanting to disrupt things while they were preparing to bring us out of warp.

"How long until arrival, Jess?" I asked.

"We will be exiting warp in 5 minutes, Commander." Jess quickly replied.

"Good, not a moment too soon." I settled back, looking over a couple of minor details that I still needed to deal with, while considering the best way to go about confronting Kang. I obviously didn't want a public discussion, so I decided to simply pay him a surprise visit.

_ "Seems like the best idea."  _ Nova said telepathically. She and I had agreed that it was better to hold any discussions that were important to be kept private, but that we couldn't simply leave for, telepathically.

" _ Still easier said than done. _ " I thought back. I felt her amusement coming back through the link.

"Dropping out of warp in 10 seconds." Jess reported.

With the usual flash, the  _ Liberator _ dropped out of warp, to reveal a standard, habitable planet in front of us. All around us, the fleet was beginning to emerge from warp. Even so, I saw that Tassadar and his forces had already arrived. I also suspected that Butler was also here, although I couldn't spot him with the cloaking field up.

"Incoming transmission." The comms officer reported.

"Put it up, main screen." I ordered.

Tassadar's image appeared.  _ "En Taro Adun, Commander. Selendis informed me of your injuries at New Folsom. I am glad to see you looking so well." _

"En Taro Adun, Executor. It's good to be able to be up. Thank you for coming on such short notice."

_ "Indeed. I understand while you wish to pay the proper respects to the fallen, there is much we need to discuss." _

I nodded. "You're not wrong there. There's a lot of things we need to sort out, and it's better to do that in one pass, I think."

_ "I concur. We have found a suitable location on the surface for the ceremony. I am transmitting its coordinates now." _

I glanced at the navigator, who nodded, indicating she had received the coordinates. "We have them. I'll get everyone headed that way. See you planet-side."

Tassadar nodded and cut the transmission.

I turned to the pilot. "Take us down."

As we came in sight of the landing zone, I could see Protoss and a few Terrans milling around. Setting down beside a Protoss Carrier, it didn't take long for us to disembark. Nova stayed close in case I needed some help, although I was fairly determined not to depend on anyone else for support. As soon as we arrived, I saw the  _ Hyperion _ land close beside us. I had elected to leave a small group of ships in orbit, so we would have warning of any unwanted guests, although I also intended to rotate the ships around to give everyone some time off. Still, it was a sizable force gathered on the surface, and one that could hold its own against all but the most massive of assaults. Tassadar was waiting for me as I disembarked.

_ "Considering you were run through less than a week ago, I am stunned to see you walking around so soon." _

"That makes two of us." I heard Sarah's voice and turned to watch her, Jim and Matt approach. I nodded towards Nova.

"I've got Nova to thank for that. Seems she has quite a gift for healing, as well as fighting."

_ "Indeed?" _ Tassadar turned to Nova.  _ "It is rare to meet a person who is both warrior and healer, particularly as proficient as yourself. I am glad to know that you are one of us." _

Nova smiled. "I had a good group of teachers but thank you."

Tassadar nodded as Sarah walked up to me. "Well, it's good to see you up and about." She commented.

The open-palmed slap she caught me with came completely by surprise. Even though she obviously wasn't putting her full force behind it, it was still enough for me to stagger slightly.

"What the hell were you thinking?" She demanded.

Massaging my jaw, I looked back at her. "Ok, taking on a Ghost in close combat may not have been my smartest ever move, but he didn't exactly give me a chance to evade. When I saw you guys surrounded, it was me or you. You really think I was going to take the risk with your lives?"

"You should never have been in that position."

"Bluntly, Sarah, I'm expendable, particularly compared to the rest of you. If that bastard wanted to keep his attention on me rather than you, then fine, if he's that silly, I'll oblige him. Although I'm not exactly looking for a rematch any time soon."

"You, expendable? Hardly."

Jim stepped in between, "Ok guys, let's just back off a bit. Everyone's fine, and apart from scaring us nearly to death, no real harm done, right."

I nodded.

Sarah still looked angry for a time, then came in for a close hug. "You ever scare me like that again, and you'll wish you'd died, ok?"

"Ok Mom, I read you." I replied.

Sarah managed to chuckle, then stepped back. "Some things never change, huh."

"At least we're all still able to have this conversation."

Sarah nodded. "Sorry about that, but you did deserve it."

"Trust me, compared to what tortures Nova's been coming up with, that's a gentle tickle."

Everyone laughed at Nova's glare, although I could see the sparkle in her eyes. I looked over towards where everyone was gathering. "Time to do this, I think."

The others nodded, and we quickly made our way through the crowd to the top of a nearby hill, although I noticed Nova slip away quietly and cloak. Knowing what she was up to, I said nothing. Finally, we reached a point where everyone could hear us. Someone had set up a sound system, something I was grateful for as I stepped up to the microphone.

"It hasn't been an easy journey for anyone here. We've all had to make difficult choices and watched those close to us suffer or die. It would be wrong of us not to pause and remember those who can no longer stand with us. I would ask you all to join me in remembering the fallen. The brave pilots of our fighters, both Protoss and Terran, those men and women who gave their lives defending both us and those who are less fortunate. Those who we could not save at New Gettysburg, and the battles leading up to that fateful day. I will also ask you to join me in remembering the crew of the  _ Cormorant _ , those dedicated men and women who proved themselves again and again but found a blockade even they could not run through. And finally, those who have fallen recently, at Dylar, New Folsom, and the other battles that we have fought together. Please, join with me now, to remember those whose great lives have been cut short, and whose memory we honour, as we strive for justice in their name."

I stopped for a moment, pausing to let a respectful silence fill the air. For over a minute, the only sounds were those of birds and other wildlife, along with the wind in the trees.

"As we pause to remember those no longer with us, let us also take a minute to remember what it was that we fight, and that they gave their lives for. Every single one of us here knows the devastation that has been wrought upon our worlds by the Zerg, and the damage that they will continue to do if they are not stopped. We also know the crimes of the Confederacy, and now the Dominion, that have caused further pain and suffering to the people of this sector, and that also will continue to do so unless they are stopped. While it is obvious that the Zerg are the primary threat to us all, we cannot allow ourselves to forget what has been done to us, and everyone else. Both forces have committed genocide by using the Zerg to destroy their opponents. It is, in many ways, due to them that we face the threat we do. Against such evil, you may ask, what is it that we can do? We are alone, outnumbered and outgunned. What chances do we have of survival, let alone victory?"

I looked over the assembled crowd, knowing the questions I had asked were ones they asked themselves every day.

"What we have is the cunning and bravery of the Terrans, combined with the skill and valour of the Protoss. Time and again, we have faced off against the worst that our foes can throw at us, and we are still here. They have terrorised us, betrayed us and taken those that we are closest to. But despite all of that, we refuse to simply roll over and die for their convenience. I'm not going to say that we have an easy task ahead of us. We're all familiar with what the Zerg can do, and what our Terran enemies are capable of. What I will say is that each and every person here has proven that they can stand against the storm. It falls to us to remember the fallen, and ensure that they did not die in vain, and I know that we will not forget. We will not give up. We will not stop until we can return the peace, justice and freedom to this sector that we all deserve!"

Stepping back from the microphone, I watched as the words I said sank in. While there was still sadness and grief among the crowd, a wave of determination was also filling them. Everyone knew what was at stake, and they would not back away from the task ahead of us.

After Tassadar and Jim made their own speeches, I gave everyone some time off to try and rest, knowing the toll that the last few operations had taken on everyone. As we finished, I saw an unfamiliar man, smoking a cigar, make his way over towards our group. Jim quickly met him and led him over towards us.

"Jason, I'd like you to meet Tychus Findlay. The two of us go back a long way."

I looked Tychus over. He was a mountain of muscle, although the years in New Folsom had obviously taken its toll. Despite everything he had been through however, he still held himself proudly, obviously not particularly caring of what others thought of him. I could see the fighter in him, along with the rogue, and began to understand why Jim might have been such good friends with him.

"Heard a lot about you, Tychus. It will be interesting to match the rumours to the man." I held out my hand.

Tychus grunted, before shaking it. "So, you're the man that got Jimmy boy all calmed down. Funny what can change a man."

I didn't particularly care for Tychus's tone, and him being almost resentful wasn't exactly something I was happy to hear.

"I imagine you'd know that better than most. But it's interesting how priorities can be changed under the right circumstances."

"Oh?" Tychus looked slightly bored. "Such as what?"

"Before all this, not many people would have taken a chance on you. Now, even Butler wanted you out and about."

Tychus's eyes narrowed. "You know Butler?"

I nodded. "Worked with him for a time. He’s around here somewhere too; decided to team up with us when everything started going to hell. Sorry we couldn't have a better time waiting for you, but that's life."

"You got some balls, just idly dropping that into the conversation."

I held his furious gaze. "Better you know what you're up against, and who you can count on, sooner rather than later, wouldn't you agree? Course, if you'd rather, we can drop you off somewhere, and you can go your own way."

Everyone was silent for a few seconds before Tychus chuckled. "I think you and I are going to get along just fine. Sounds to me like you enjoy stirring up some trouble. Be a shame to miss out on a chance to team up with Jimmy again." He sobered slightly. "And thanks for getting me out. I'm surprised you and Butler thought it was a good idea."

"Jim suggested it. That's good enough for me to take the risk. And given how long you and him evaded Butler for, that says a lot right there. Butler's smart enough to work out when to bury the hatchet. But if you're going to talk to him, warn me first. That's one discussion I want to see."

Tychus chuckled. "You got it. I'd best leave you to it. I've got some, ah, socialising to do."

I smiled; Jim had already warned me about Tychus's reputation with the ladies. "I'm sure. Just take one bit of advice, ok?"

"Shoot."

"I'd be careful with the charm. Every one of the ladies here is quite capable of killing, the last few months have seen to that. And watch out for Jim's girl." I nodded towards Sarah. "She really will turn you inside out if she gets pissed off."

"You're not joking, are you?"

"After all the trouble we went through to get you out? I'll be damned if I have to get someone to clean up the blood afterwards."

Tychus grinned, but I saw he had taken the hint. "Fair enough. I'll see you around."

I nodded. "Count on it."

As Tychus wandered away, Nova decloaked beside me. "You didn't warn him away from me?"

"If he's stupid enough to mess with you, then no warnings are going to stop him."

Jim blinked. "Why the cloak, Nova?"

"I've been busy. Something I wanted to check out while everyone was occupied."

"Any luck?" I asked.

She nodded, her face grim. "Not here though."

I nodded, "Come on, then."

Quickly leading everyone back to the  _ Liberator _ 's tac room, I sealed the door behind us. Turning around, I looked at Nova. "What did you find?"

Nova quickly pulled a data-card from a pocket and inserted it into the main console. "A set of high-level cipher keys and a series of recordings. I was able to copy them, rather than taking the originals."

"Can someone fill in the gaps, please?" Jim asked.

"We tracked down the mole's probable identity to a single ship. Nova wanted to infiltrate it and search for any evidence that might help narrow down the field." I replied.

"And you let her?" Sarah asked, stunned.

"Not exactly something I was happy about, but there was no way I was going to be able to stop her."

"True." Jim replied, cutting Sarah off. "So, you have a name?"

Nova nodded, pressing a key on the console. One of the recordings began to play.

_ "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" _

_ "I told you Davis was slippery and wary. He obviously suspected that someone here might not be working completely for him."  _

_ "And so, gave completely false information to his entire force?" _

_ "It makes sense. He obviously has a way of communicating privately with the Protoss, he must have worked out a strategy with them." _

_ "Does he suspect you?" _

_ "I doubt it. He invited me into the meeting where he discussed the plans for the New Folsom attack, and left me in charge of the fleet when he went wherever the hell he went. I still haven't worked out exactly where that was, although he obviously picked up a couple of  _ Stingrays _ from it. He even mentioned he knew there was more than one spy in front of me and expected to pick up more." _

_ "Does he now? I wonder how he came to that conclusion." _

_ "Maybe he's just being paranoid." _

_ "Then you haven't failed completely just yet. What does he plan next?" _

_ "Right now, we're heading for an out of the way place called Demon's Fair, for some sort of memorial. I think the Protoss are coming too, though." _

_ "That's a pity. We might have been able to take him if they weren't around, but those alien freaks are just too unpredictable." _

_ "One bit of good news, though. He got wounded badly at New Folsom. Whatever Ghost pulled that off deserves a raise, very nearly killed him by all accounts. Apparently, that Terra girl saved his life." _

_ "Yet one more mistake. If Duke hadn't let her slip through his hands, Kerrigan's loss would have been negated and Davis would be out of the picture." _

_ "Only one possible issue. One of the other captains at the Dylar meeting, Roland, mentioned that he'd picked up a couple of transmissions. Probably how Davis worked out he had a mole." _

_ "Could Davis break the code?" _

_ "I don't see how. The only reason Roland could have picked the transmissions up is that he was so close to us, and I've made sure to stay away from him since then. Davis was too far away to have had a chance, and what Roland could have got would be too weak to be of any use. As for any further transmissions, I'm going to only make contact when we are in warp, there's no way he could detect a transmission then." _

_ "Very wise. Stay close to him but be careful not to blow your cover. Davis and his bunch of rebels have been lucky so far, but they are still just a ragtag group. Sooner or later, they'll bite off more than they can chew, and we'll have them." _

_ "That or the Zerg will. Davis seemed fairly sure they'd keep coming for Kerrigan." _

_ "That will suit me just as well. Won't even have to waste ships destroying them. Keep me informed." _

Nova stopped the recording and looked at me. "I decided to place a small tap into their communicator. Thought it might be useful to monitor any more communications or send one masked as them."

"Good call." I replied, my face hard.

I hadn't wanted to believe it, but the proof was right there. Looking around, I saw everyone else just as angry at the revelation.

Collins had been talking directly to Mengsk.

He had betrayed us all.


	22. The Unforgivable

It took awhile for me to notice exactly how quiet it was after we finished listening to the recording. Everyone was in shock at the realisation. Finally, I spoke.

"I imagine that was the latest transmission."

Nova nodded.

"Let's hear the rest, then."

As we listened to the rest of the messages, it was obvious that Collins hadn't been forced into his role but had approached Mengsk while we were destroying the Ion Cannon. Still, there wasn't anything in them that Mengsk could really use now, all the information related solely to the Dylar and New Folsom missions. Not filling people in on the exact details of the  _ Terra Firma _ operation had proven to be an exceptionally good move. None of this boded particularly well for Collins, as far as I was concerned. Nova, and likely Sarah as well, could see directly just how furious I was, and Jim knew me well enough to have just as good an idea.

"I say we deal with this sooner rather than later." I snarled.

"Works for me." Jim replied. "How do you want to do it?"

"Nova, can you set it up so we can make that call to Mengsk from here?"

"Yeah, shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes."

"Good. Jim, contact the senior captains, ask them to meet us here in half an hour. Sarah, contact the Protoss commanders and do the same. Warn them about what's going on as well. Nova, once you've got that system set up, I want you to stay in here but cloaked. I don't think Collins will try to make a run for it, but I'd rather have an ace in the hole. Also keep an eye out for any more calls. If Collins calls Mengsk again beforehand, I want to know about it."

All of them quickly nodded, Jim and Sarah leaving to make their calls, while Nova got to work. Being female, she was of course able to multitask.

"I'm not sure I've ever seen you so angry before."

"For good reason. The only time I've been this close was when Mengsk abandoned Sarah. But this, this blows that out of the water."

"Well, I suggest you get your poker face back on. You don't want to warn him off."

"True." I took a deep breath, attempting to calm down, grateful I hadn't given in to my instincts and called the meeting immediately, or simply gone out and found Collins.

Nova quickly finished and turned back to me. "Come on, Jason. Back in the game. I assume you're planning to call Mengsk."

"Yeah. I think we've a few words to say."

"Make sure you have everything planned out."

I smiled grimly. "Oh yes. I think I have a fair idea on that."

Within minutes of the summons being sent out, Roland, Tassadar and Selendis arrived almost together. I was surprised to see Roland with them and said as much.

"Well, they've done an awful lot to help us over the last few weeks. I haven't really had much chance to talk to a Protoss."

"Curiosity, huh?"

"Something like that. What's this about?"

"Got a few things to sort out, and our timetable got moved up."

Roland nodded. "What we talked about on the way here?"

"Yeah. Turns out we were right."

Roland's face hardened. "What do you want us to do?"

"Right now, nothing. I know how I want to handle him."

"You're the boss. Can't say I like it though, but I'll do it."

"Thanks." I looked over at Tassadar and Selendis. "I know Sarah's filled you in, but I'd appreciate it if you did the same."

Tassadar and Selendis looked at each other, then back to me.  _ "Just watch and wait?" _ Selendis asked.

I nodded.

_ "Very well. But I do hope you know what you're doing." _ Tassadar replied.

I gave them a mirthless smile. "Oh yes. That I do."

As the rest of the captains and commanders assembled, I made sure not to give away any hint of what I was planning. It didn't take long for everyone to arrive, which was just as well. I wasn't sure how long I could keep my anger back for. Finally, I began the meeting.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I'm sorry to drag you away like this, but there are certain things we need to discuss."

I leant over the console and brought up a transcript of the latest transmission from Collins. "We picked this up around an hour ago. This is all we've been able to get out of it so far, but I'd like your opinion of it."

I turned away, letting everyone read it carefully, listening for anything interesting. While I couldn't see what was happening, I didn't need to either.

_ "Collins is staying fairly calm outside so far, but he's trying to come up with a plan."  _ Nova reported telepathically.

_ "Anything else of interest?" _ I replied.

_ "Everyone else is getting pissed off." _

Finally, I turned around and looked at the assembled captains. "Your thoughts?"

"I take it that this was sent to Mengsk?" Ryan asked.

"I believe so, we're still working our way through it. But that's not the biggest concern."

"Then what is?" She demanded.

"The fact that the sender is in this room."

Silence fell across everyone. Everyone looked from one to another, as I finally let my anger show.

"Someone here has likely been sending information to Mengsk and putting everyone's lives at risk. Most crimes I can forgive, but a bald-faced betrayal? With no remorse? That's beyond my limits."

I looked squarely at everyone in the room, not focussing on anyone for too long. "I will get to the bottom of this, you can all be sure of that. But the longer I have to spend digging this mole out, the more unhappy I'm going to be when I find them. So, I would suggest that they come forward,  _ now _ ."

Everyone was uneasy, but no one spoke. I looked closely at everyone, apparently watching for any signs of guilt. Even Collins, however, was able to hold himself firm and give nothing away.

_ "Anything?" _ I asked Nova privately.

_ "He's getting worried, but he doesn't believe you have enough to connect to him." _

Fine, if he wanted to play it cool, I'd play ball. I shook my head.

"You know, I really thought you were smarter than this." I turned away from the rest of the group and looked at the display. "Collins."

I had two separate warnings of what was about to happen. The first was the sound of metal sliding on cloth. The second was Nova.

_ "Gun!" _ She mentally screamed at me.

" _ Don't kill him."  _ I commanded.

Collins had evidently decided to try and do what damage he could. The problem for him was that I had anticipated exactly that. Behind the console, no one could see that my hand was resting on my pistol. It was time to put Nova's healing powers to the test and see if my body was still up to the task.

Drawing my pistol, I spun around, aiming on the fly. Collins had managed to get his own weapon out and was aiming it in my direction, but a degree of shock was slowing him down, which meant that I was slightly faster on the draw. Still, one shot was going to be all I had time for. 

But at this range, that was all I needed too.

I fired, the round driving into Collins' shoulder, spinning him around as Nova hit his gun hand. He collapsed on the floor, surprisingly not screaming at the pain. He glared up at me, as I walked around the console to him, gun levelled. Beside him, Nova de-cloaked and jabbed her weapon into his neck. "I'd stay still right now." She snarled.

No one else stirred as Collins and I looked at each other. "You got sloppy, Collins. Even with everything you knew, you still missed the obvious fact; the fact that I knew about the transmissions before Roland mentioned them."

Collins was silent.

"I've only got one question for you. Why?" I said quietly.

Collins looked at me, his eyes filled with pain and anger. "You're no better than Mengsk."

I raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you want to explain that."

He snorted. "You've got everyone fooled. You keep talking about the Zerg being the biggest threat and how we're fighting for justice and all the rest of that crap. But you sound exactly like him. So why should people follow you? What makes you different?"

I laughed. "The Zerg. Tell me, what exactly has Mengsk done about them? The only times he's fought them was Mar Sara and Antiga Prime, and that was only because he had something to gain from it. He's shown a lot more interest in luring them into an area and using them than in stopping them. Hell, he very nearly handed them the most dangerous weapon possible."

I sent a silent apology to Sarah but got back reassurance that she understood.

"And what have you done? Not exactly like you've gone out of your way to fight them, is it?" Collins spat.

"With what exactly? Up until a few days ago, we had a handful of ships and barely enough people to man them. That's what we've been working to fix. Getting the people and firepower to be able to make a difference, or have you been asleep for that? Look around you, Collins. Mengsk made very little ground against the Zerg in months. In less than one, we've obtained people, ships and supplies that we can use, forged an alliance with those who know more about the Zerg than any other, and we've still done more to push them back. Ask Jackson and Tassadar about what they've been up to. Ask Matt how many Zerg we faced and took down when we lost the  _ Cormorant _ . Ask Sarah how many Zerg we killed to get everyone off Tarsonis. Ask Jim how many Zerg got taken out by the little trap we set up."

I looked up at Jim. "Can you refresh my memory on that please?"

"Around half a million, including a couple of those leviathans."

"Thank you.” I redirected my attention back to Collins. “Still think I haven't been worrying about the Zerg?

"You sure know how to pick and choose your fights."

I leant in close. "Mengsk fights the fights he can win. While that's a nice idea, it's not what's important."

"And what is?"

"You fight the fights that need fighting." I stood up. "I'm not perfect, far from it. But one thing that I will do is work to try and save lives. Mengsk proved time and again that he doesn't give a damn. So, I'll ask again. Why choose him?"

He glared at me. "Because if we're going to be in this fight, then we need to be united, and we need to do what's necessary. You're too soft. Mengsk might be a bastard, but he understands what needs to be done."

"Does he? Why don't we ask?" I turned away from the man on the floor and began to open Collins' link to Arcturus. It didn't take long for the call to go through.

"Collins, what-" Mengsk stopped as the image registered.

"Try again, Mengsk." I smiled.

" _ You _ . What the hell do you want?"

"A little show and tell." I stepped to one side, to show Collins. "Thought I'd tell you not to bother trying to call anymore."

"Attacking one of your own officers? Not like you, Davis."

"Only because he drew on me. Even you should know better than to try that stunt. Thanks for all the gear, by the way. It was a real shame to see it go to waste."

"You'll regret that."

"Not nearly as much as you, I'll bet. Things just haven't been going your way since you started using the Zerg, have they?"

"What I did, I did for humanity."

"No, you did it for power. Don't try and bullshit me. You've been using them since Mar Sara."

"I have no idea what you mean."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? I saw the transcript, Mengsk. It was one of your people that planted the Psi Emitter on Mar Sara when this war began, not the Confederacy. It was you who instructed that a Psi Emitter be used on Antiga Prime to break the Confederate blockade. It was you who ordered Psi Emitters to be planted at Tarsonis, to destroy the Confederacy. It was you who commanded that the Protoss relief force be neutralised, while leaving the Zerg untouched. You fooled us once, Mengsk. Well done. But are you good enough to beat us again?"

Mengsk's expression darkened. "Mark my words, you rebel scum. I will not be stopped. Not by you, or the Confederates or the Protoss or anyone! I will rule this sector or see it burnt to ashes around me!"

"Nice quote. I'll make sure to remember it. You feel nothing, do you? How many billions of lives have you snuffed out? How many more have you ruined?"

"You really think that I give a damn about what you think?"

"Not really. You've said your piece, now it's my turn. Consider yourself lucky, Mengsk."

Mengsk blinked, stunned, as stunned as those behind me.

"Right now, you're not worth wasting a single shot on. Not while we still have the Zerg to deal with. I suggest you stay out of my way. Use the time to build up your forces and cement your position. That way, you might provide a challenge when it's time for us to meet. We won't forget, Arcturus, so you better hope that the Zerg take a while to beat. That way, you might have a chance to use what days you have left to do something useful. There's a nice long list of people that want your head, with a couple of Ghosts at the top. They may be patient enough to wait.” I paused, my voice dropping and cooling in temperature. “But then again, they may not."

I cut the transmission and turned back to Collins. "Still think Mengsk is worth following?"

Collins was silent, but significantly less defiant than before. I looked up at the ceiling. "Jess, call security, would you?"

"They're waiting outside, sir."

"Thanks." I opened the door, beckoning the squad outside in. "Please escort Captain Collins to his med bay so he can get his wound looked at. Do not leave him alone, however."

"Yes, sir." The sergeant swiftly designated two of his men to pick up Collins. Sarah looked at me.

"I don't think you need me here, Commander, so I might go with them, if you don't mind."

I nodded. "By all means, Sarah." I had a fair idea what she was intending to do as well and agreed with her reasoning.

As the door closed behind them, I turned back to the rest of the group. "I'm sorry about that, everyone. But it needed to be dealt with sooner rather than later, I think."

Ryan stepped forward. "Bluntly, sir, I think I speak for everyone when I say you were a damn sight more lenient than he deserved."

I saw nods of agreement around the room, and none of the fear that I might have expected. "Then I might have to disappoint you. Once his ship is stripped of whatever we need to take off it, and any useful information that he has on us, I intend to let him go."

Roland blinked. "What?"

I smiled. "Where's he going to go? I doubt that Mengsk is going to be keen to take a failure that got caught. He'll probably end up roaming around as a mercenary or joining the Combine or Protectorate. It isn't right to punish the crew, given we don't know how involved they were. If they wish to stay, of course we'll retain them, but otherwise there is no point in keeping them here."

"But doesn't Collins deserve to die?"

"Maybe he does. And if he crosses our path again, he will. But he was a good man, once. I'll honour that, and I don't like killing prisoners."

I saw many people disagree privately on that point, but in the end, they accepted it was my call.

After the confrontation with Collins, the rest of the meeting proceeded rather well. I told the assembled captains who I intended to move up  – and, with one exception, they all accepted my reasoning and the new position. Matt, however, did not.

"Thank you for offering this sir, but I don't feel I'm ready. I'd rather just continue to work as Jim and Sarah's XO."

"You’re sure, Matt?" Jim asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, this is one thing that I'm fairly confident in. What happened at Shiloh kind of proved it to me."

I was slightly disappointed, but I wasn't going to press him. "If you say so, Matt."

Turning to the rest of the group, I laid out what I had planned. "Right now, we don't have a clear plan for the Zerg, or any real intel as to their position or intentions. It's time to change that. Jackson, Morris, I'm assigning both of you to work with Tassadar. Orders are simple; assist with any anti-Zerg operations, evacuate any survivors if possible, and gather as much information on the Zerg as possible. Stay in regular contact, and if you need support, then we'll see what we can do."

The pair nodded as I turned to Butler. "Wilkes, I'm going to dispatch a battle-group to help you defend  _ Terra Firma _ . I'll also need to send you ships for repairs and upgrades over time, we'll need to get that done as soon as practical. Where are you at with everything else?"

"I've got another 15  _ Stingrays _ operational. All they need is a crew. As for the other projects, I've been concentrating on the  _ Temeraire _ more than the  _ Thylacine _ , we can get that prototype operational a lot sooner."

Tassadar spoke up.  _ "On that point." _ I looked at him.

"Yes, Executor?"

_ "Selendis informs me that you wish to collaborate more closely, in particular sharing technology." _

I nodded. "While I will agree that we would probably benefit more than you, I think it's still worthwhile enough for us both. If our engineers become more familiar with your technology, then we'd be able to conduct repairs on your ships and equipment too, as well as perhaps coming up with better ways to improve what we have."

Tassadar held up a hand.  _ "You do not need to persuade me, Commander. I will admit to being reluctant on this point, but I do believe that it must be done, nonetheless. I have spoken to my people, and at least a few are willing to work with your engineers on this. I do think that you will understand us not necessarily giving you access to everything that we have, however." _

"I'd be a fool if I imagined otherwise. Still, I appreciate what you're doing. Butler, I need you to work with Tassadar's people as closely as possible. They are to be treated as respected guests."

Both men nodded, satisfied. I turned to the last two captains and Jim.

"Roland, Ryan, for the moment, I'll be needing to keep you both busy, although I'm afraid I don't have any real operations for you. But as boring as it may be, we still need supplies and resources if we're going to continue to operate effectively. It's only going to be for a short time, and I'll make sure that everyone does their turn. You're just unlucky enough to start. When the rest of the fleet leaves, you'll need to remain here. Get whatever resources you can over the next couple of weeks, then rejoin us if I haven't contacted you with other orders in the meantime. Stay alert and don't attract any unnecessary attention."

Neither captain looked happy, but they understood the necessity. I continued.

"For the moment, Jim and I will be running with double-sized battle-groups and remain as a reserve. We'll try to support anti-Zerg operations wherever possible, although we'll remain in the vicinity of this area if we haven't found anything."

Everyone, while not necessarily happy, understood my reasoning.

"All right, I think that will do for today. Enjoy some time off for a bit, but in a day or two, we'll need to get moving again."

Everyone nodded and began to move towards the door. Tassadar and Selendis remained however, although Jim gave me a glance before leaving. Once the door closed, I turned to Nova, standing almost forgotten by everyone. "I take it you filled them in."

Nova nodded. "I thought it best."

"Good." I turned to the two Protoss. "So what are your thoughts?"

_ "I have to say I do not like this. If it was not for the fact that I can sense your mind is untainted, then I would have suspected you of being infested, Commander." _ Tassadar replied.

I nodded grimly. "I don't much like it either, Executor, but I think we have little choice. If there is someone else around that's willing to share information like this, we can't simply ignore it. And I don't think we can simply dismiss the possibility of other forces out of hand either."

_ "I know. Selendis showed me what you have seen. I admit that if real, the implications are disturbing. I also understand that this... figure is willing for us to accompany you." _

"Yeah. As much as I don't like walking into what smells like a trap, it's not something we can simply walk away from, and if so, I'd rather have you come if you're willing."

Selendis nodded fiercely.  _ "At the very least, they may have more information on the Zerg. We will have to take the risk." _

"Let's just hope we have some luck left." Nova murmured.

After we finished, I went across to the  _ Hammer _ , as a group of marines carried a supply box out. "We're nearly done, sir. It shouldn't take us long to finish up. Collins is still in the med bay, under guard."

"Good. Carry on, people." As they continued, I walked past them into the ship, Nova de-cloaking beside me. She had made it clear before we came that I wasn't leaving her sight.

Walking through the ship, I saw more than a few of the crew, but they were keen to stay out of the way. None of them had been willing to remain, all proving loyal to Collins. As I had told everyone, I had no problem in allowing them to leave, but I didn't want them around if they weren't going to stay true. Entering the med bay, I saw Collins, lying on the bed looking at nothing. Sarah was standing over him, watching carefully. Nova and I walked up beside her.

"Hasn't said a word since he got here." Sarah reported. "Wounds aren't too serious though."

"Good to know. Can you two give us a moment please?"

The women nodded and walked out, leaving Collins and I alone. I sat beside him and waited. Eventually he spoke.

"I should have realised you were on to me."

"I did wonder why you kept quiet. I really thought that was enough of a hint."

"You've always been good at using information to your advantage. Part of why you've done so well." He finally looked at me. "So, is this where you give me my bullet?"

"Not exactly what I had planned, no. You've probably noticed the marines going back and forth. We've taken the spare supplies and equipment you had on board, although we've left you enough for a while. Once they've finished taking all the sensitive data, you'll be free to leave. I'll give you an hour's start before I get everyone to shoot you on sight. I suggest you stay the hell away from us, go wherever, I don't give a damn. The only reason I've doing this much is because I remember that you were once a decent man. But after this, it's open season on you as far as I'm concerned."

"That's more than I have a right to expect. My crew?"

"They've all chosen to stay with you. Same thing applies."

"Understood."

I stood, having nothing more to say. As I turned away, Collins had one final word.

"I doubt you'll see me again, sir. Goodbye and good luck."

I nodded but said nothing, walking out. I was finished with him as far as I was concerned. Nova and Sarah were waiting outside, and fell into step beside me, leaving me to my thoughts. As we stepped outside the  _ Hammer _ , I realised the day's surprises were not over.

Malcolm Kang stood waiting for me.

"I think we need to talk, sir."

I looked right at him, not particularly happy to see him at this point, although I knew there was no point in delaying it.

"I think you're right. You have some explaining to do."

He nodded, beckoning me towards his own ship. "I figured you'd worked it out when you came calling. Did you already know by then?"

I waited until we stepped inside the airlock before responding. "Did I know that you were working from the Umojans? Yeah, I knew. But that transmitter on the bridge was a big give-away too."

He grimaced. "Yeah, it was too much to hope for that you wouldn't recognise that. But then you went quiet about it, and I wasn't sure what you knew or were planning."

"So why come forward now?"

"After hearing that you knew Collins was a spy, I realised just because you hadn't done anything, it didn't mean that you didn't know. Besides, I have someone who wants to talk to you."

"Jacob?"

He looked at me. "So, you had worked that out too, huh?"

"It was the obvious conclusion."

_ "Jim, Tassadar and Selendis are on their way." _ Sarah said telepathically. I nodded in acknowledgement.

As we entered the bridge, I saw it was deserted.

"I guessed you would want some privacy for this call."

"Probably a good idea. One question, though. Did you know Collins was a spy?"

Kang shook his head. "That came as quite a shock." He sat at the console and began activating it. Behind me, Jim and the two Protoss entered the bridge and moved behind me.

I had to admit, I was caught slightly off-guard about this. The plan I had devised to obtain this whole communication had gone right out the window. I was unprepared for this turn of events and that was a feeling I didn't particularly care for. All I could really do was take it as it came, and hope everything worked out.

Kang turned to me. "We're ready, sir."

I squared my shoulders. "Put it through."


	23. Knowledge is power

Kang activated the transmission, and a familiar figure quickly appeared in front of me. I had only ever seen Jacob Kang in pictures or on screens talking to Mengsk, but I certainly recognised him right away. He tilted his head slightly.

"Commander Davis. Your reputation precedes you. What can we do for you?"

I smiled slightly. "I was under the impression that it was you who wanted to talk to me."

"Come, must we play games? He chided.

"Last I heard, the Protectorate was a major backer of the Sons of Korhal, and Mengsk in particular. So why would you want to talk to me?"

"Of all people, you know the value of information, and the fact that there is more than one side to every story. If our positions were reversed, would you not seek out the other party?"

Realisation suddenly hit me. "Probably not if I was able to trust my ally. Which makes the fact that you intended to call me all the more interesting."

Jacob sighed. "Why are you so suspicious of us?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps because someone can't sneeze without you knowing what causes it. There is a reason why your spy network is so extensive; you don't have a major military, but you have good tech, and you know everyone's dirty secrets. Even the Confederacy wasn't crazy enough to pick a fight with you. So again, why call?"

His eyes narrowed. "You're persistent."

"No, but I can spot evasive answers from 100 paces, and that tends to get my interest. Given you're associated with Mengsk, why would you even consider giving us the time of day?"

He stayed silent and I waited for him to respond. Stalemate. Finally, he caved.

"Some of the rumours that have reached my ears are... unsettling."

"Unsettling? Perhaps we can trade then. You tell me what you have heard, and I'll tell you what's right and what's not."

"Very well. Tell me about Tarsonis."

I inclined my head slightly. "I assume you're referring to the fact that the Sons of Korhal, Zerg and Protoss all showed up there in very short order."

"That would be a logical place to begin, yes."

"So, what do you know about it?"

"Mengsk tells us that it was a tragic coincidence. He had no idea that the Zerg would arrive, or the Protoss."

I glanced at Tassadar and Selendis. "I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong, but I suspect the only reason Tassadar here took his forces to Tarsonis was to engage the Zerg, as we've seen throughout the sector."

_ "That is correct." _ Tassadar confirmed, moving into view of the screen.

Jacob's eyes widened slightly at seeing Tassadar. "I must admit, I thought it unlikely that the Protoss would willingly ally with any Terran when Malcolm told me. You're all proving to be full of surprises."

I grinned. "That's the way I like things. In any case, it might have started as an alliance of convenience, but I think it's developed a bit from there."

"How on earth did you two even manage to stop shooting long enough to start talking?"

"I'll get to that. You were asking about the Zerg's sudden arrival?"

"I was, yes."

"Are you familiar with the term Psi Emitter?"

Jacob's expression darkened. "All too well. Are you suggesting that Psi Emitters were used at Tarsonis?"

"I'm not suggesting it, I'm stating it. I should know, Mengsk had them planted on our initial assault by Duke, but didn't bother to inform me, despite the fact it was my mission."

"He didn't tell you? Why?"

"I don't think he really ever trusted me. Fine with me, I never trusted him either, but the only person he told was Duke himself. It came as a rude shock to Sarah and Jim too. None of us particularly cared for the damn things, and we weren't shy about telling him so."

"But you've used them."

I slumped slightly. "In my entire career, I have been a part of operations using Psi Emitters a grand total of three times. The last time, we used them to rig up a trap for the Zerg in space, to distract them and keep them away from us. We ended up blowing up about half a million of the bugs then. The very first time, Mengsk ordered Sarah and I to place them within the Confederate base on Antiga Prime, so we could escape. Didn't much care for that either. The only other time was Tarsonis, and the first I knew of them there was Duke reporting their placement and activation. Mind you, they do seem to be the weapon of choice for Mengsk."

"How so?"

"One of the last things we did before leaving Mar Sara was raid a Confederate facility. Mengsk said we were after weapons data. Given that he provided the hacking programs to retrieve the data, and we ended up stealing the designs for the Psi Emitter, I have to wonder if they were his real aim. Added to that the fact that we have evidence that it was the Sons of Korhal that lured the Zerg to Mar Sara, rather than the Confederates, and it's fairly easy to see a pattern."

"That is a bold claim to make, Commander. I do hope that you wouldn't make it without evidence."

I smiled and keyed my personal comm. "Jess, would you mind sending the recording of our last transmission to the  _ Osiris _ ?"

"Of course, Commander."

The console in front of me blinked, indicating the transmission had arrived. I keyed it to play, transmitting it to the Umojan as well. I sat back, listening to Mengsk rant, but ultimately he did not refute anything I threw at him. When the recording finished, I turned to Jacob, whose expression was somewhat shell-shocked.

"Straight from Mengsk's mouth. I don't think evidence comes much better than a confession." I smiled, knowing I'd won the round.

"Indeed." I let him recover for a moment. "Out of interest, how did you find out Collins was a mole?"

"The same way I found Malcolm here, although it took more work to break Collins's transmissions than yours."

Jacob looked stunned. "You were able to crack our communications? More easily than Mengsk's?"

I frowned. "Yeah." I had assumed that Jacob had used a lower-level code to allow me to 'discover' Malcolm was reporting to him. A high-risk tactic as far as I was concerned, but possibly worth the risk if they knew me well. If that  _ wasn't _ the case... "I take it that's not exactly something you expected."

Malcolm said quietly, "Those codes were among our top-level of encryption. If you thought they were easier to break than what Mengsk has, then we may have a problem reading his transmissions."

"That's just it, Malcolm." Jacob put in. "They've been coming through fine. The encryption on them was no big deal."

Sarah shook her head. "Mengsk is particularly good at playing every side against the middle. He tells you just enough to trust him, then discards you as soon as you're no longer required. He's exceptionally good at keeping his plans hidden."

Jacob's eyes narrowed at Sarah. "You may have a point there, Kerrigan. I must admit to having heard some other interesting things surrounding you, though. What really happened at New Gettysburg? Mengsk said you betrayed him."

Sarah's eyes flashed and everyone took a step back. "If by I betrayed him, you mean he sent me on a suicide mission and then he refused support and extraction when it went to hell, then yes."

"He did also say that you didn't exactly engage the Protoss. Not that I'm complaining on that count, but I am curious."

I interrupted at that point. "That was at my request, Jacob. Jim, Sarah and I discussed things before Sarah went down. We concluded that the Protoss were trying to protect the civilians and destroy the Zerg, something I had no problem with whatsoever. We also came to the conclusion that Mengsk wanted, at the very least, Sarah and I out of the picture. We decided to try talking to the Protoss rather than shooting them first."

"May I ask why?"

"Gut instinct with regard to the Protoss. As for Sarah and I, we were not exactly quiet, shall we say, about our feelings on the use of Psi Emitters."

Jacob leant back, clearly thinking hard. "One final point then. Malcolm mentioned to me that you all believed the Zerg were after Kerrigan. Why?"

"The way I've seen them fight, especially recently. The last major engagement we had with them, they were clearly chasing after Kerrigan's ship, but trying to disable it, rather than destroy it. That's very much at odds with their usual methods."

Sarah added, "It also explains why they respond to Psi Emitters so well, they're essentially my mental signature, but broadcast at a dramatically higher level of power."

Malcolm put in, "Uncle, I'm not sure I like where this is all pointing at."

"I'm certain I don't like it. Did Mengsk know?"

"I know he does now, Collins informed him of that little fact. But at Tarsonis? I can't be sure. Given how much he's been looking at Psi Emitters though, I'd be a little surprised if he didn't."

Jacob was silent for a moment. "You'll understand why I can't take your words at face value, Commander."

"I'd be feeling let down if you did. All your tradecraft, and you take the word of the enemy of an ally straight away? Not your normal way of looking at things."

"You know us well then. Having said that, you’ve given me much to think over. If you are correct, then we may well have made a mistake in allying with the Sons of Korhal."

I stayed silent. There was no reason to push any harder and every reason not to, considering that was the conclusion that I wanted them to come to.

"Do you intend to allow Malcolm to remain with you?"

I looked at the captain beside me, pondering the question. He was a known security risk for me and the Umojans were far from being allies. But I wasn't keen to go out of my way to alienate them either. I also had to wonder just how far they had infiltrated the fleet. I doubted that Malcolm Kang was the only agent among us, just as I doubted that Collins was the only mole for Mengsk. Either way, I had to take a risk.

I turned back to face Jacob. "For the moment, at least. I don't see a need for this to go further right now." I turned towards Malcolm. "But if you do stay, I will expect you to obey my commands. Also, if you have any questions or something you want to know, just ask, ok? I don't want to have to spend my time continually digging out hidden recorders or other such lovely tricks that you and the other agents plant in our systems."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jacob twitch slightly. It was a fair guess that he was reacting to the subject, although I would have thought he should have better control than that. It was also possible he was an exceptionally good actor though, so I still couldn't be sure of anything. Nova too moved slightly, as did Sarah. I guessed they'd picked up on something.

Malcolm took a moment to think it over, then nodded. "I can't exactly argue with that. You've got a deal."

Jacob nodded. "For the moment, Commander, consider us neutral in your disagreement with the Dominion."

"Right now, I'll take what I can get."

I made sure we were out of range of the  _ Osiris _ and earshot of everyone else before turning to the others. "Make sure you do scans for any listening devices on yourself. Get a trusted scanning team to come out to somewhere private to do it. Once you're done, meet me on the  _ Liberator _ ."

"You think they planted something on us?" Jim asked.

"Wouldn't we have sensed it?" Nova asked.

Sarah shook her head. "Not necessarily. And the Umojans are very good with tech."

Everyone else nodded. Nova and I turned away, as I signalled Jess to get that team out. Fortunately, it didn't take long to declare us clean. I then got them to scan the  _ Liberator,  _ from top to bottom. I wasn't prepared to risk anything there either. They quickly cleared the tactical room and bridge, while another team declared the computer systems clear too. I was relieved, but also surprised. I had expected to find something, even though I knew Malcolm hadn't been on the ship. Still, right now I had to trust the crews. Entering the tac room with the others, I sealed it, and activated some sensor scrambling systems.

"Being a little paranoid, Jason?" Jim asked lightly.

"Not really. Notice one thing that never got explained?"

Tassadar inclined his head.  _ "How did he know things were not as Mengsk had said? How did he suspect there was more to the story?" _

"Kang?" Nova asked.

Selendis shook her head.  _ "No, he was too familiar with the timeline of events." _

"Right." I added. "Plus, there was that little reaction at the end."

"You caught that, did you?" Sarah asked. "Yes, Malcolm's thoughts went a little haywire then."

"Thinking about the  _ Hyperion? _ " I asked.

Nova blinked. "Ok, how the hell did you know that?"

I smiled mirthlessly. "The Umojans rebuilt the  _ Hyperion _ practically from scratch. Top of the line systems, absolutely everything. Then they simply give it away to Mengsk. How much do you want to bet that they slipped a few 'undocumented features' into the ship?"

Jim shook his head. "That would be just like them, wouldn't it."

Sarah nodded. "Fits their MO perfectly. So, I'm guessing we need to go over the ship carefully then?"

"Yeah, but it's going to take a while to do, and I don't want to do it here, or on  _ Terra Firma _ . Here's too open, and I sure as hell don't want the station being given away. It's perhaps our best strategic asset right now."

"So, we need to find somewhere else." Nova said.

I nodded. "About the only place I can think of is Shiloh. I didn't want to have to ask Mike for a favour, but we may have no choice."

"Agreed. So how do we arrange that?" Jim asked.

"I'll go talk to him." I said.

"Talk?" Sarah asked. "You don't want to just call?"

I shook my head. "Too risky. We don't know what the situation is there right now, and I don't want to put him at risk. We'll need to watch carefully first, before reaching him."

"So why you?" Jim wanted to know.

"I can't really send you guys, or the Umojans would immediately know that we knew, or at least suspected that the  _ Hyperion _ was bugged. No one else is aware of the situation and, with no disrespect, I don't think a Protoss making a request like that is going to be the best idea."

_ "But it may still be a good idea for a couple of us to come." _ Tassadar replied.  _ "I can leave the fleet in Tamsir's hands, and Selendis and I can assist you with this." _

"Their sensors would be better than ours for this, Jason." Nova added.

"All right, you're on." I replied. "You did play a major part in repelling the attack there, too, and that should help count for something. Now that we have more ships, we might be able to give them a bit of protection too, if they need it."

Everyone nodded, although Jim and Sarah didn't look happy. Sarah fixed me a look. "There's something more to this, isn't there?"

I bowed my head. "Something I need to do, Sarah. Something I need to be sure of." I looked at her. "Please, don't ask me."

Jim and Sarah exchanged a glance, then Jim turned to me. "I'd say that you didn't trust us with whatever this is, but I know you too well."

I closed my eyes. "Let's just say that I might end up doing something very stupid, and if it goes to hell, I need people I can trust to keep going, make sure that the Zerg are beaten and Mengsk is removed."

Sarah leant back, shocked. "That serious?"

I nodded, silently begging her not to push. To her credit, she realised that and nodded slowly.

"I don't like this, Jason."

"Nor do I, but we don't have to like it." Jim said. "But you better come back, or I'm going to kick your ass across the sector."

I smiled slightly. "I'll see what I can do."

After Jim and Sarah left, the four of us turned to each other.  _ "You very nearly gave everything away."  _ Tassadar said.

I looked away. "We've been through hell together. Even without Sarah being a Ghost, we know each other well enough to recognise when something's bothering one of us. I can't lie to them."

Nova nodded. "But that doesn't mean you need to tell them the whole truth. This had better be worth it, Jason."

"You don't have to tell me that."

_ "You still have not said where exactly we are going to."  _ Selendis pointed out.

"I'm not completely sure yet, but I have a reasonably good idea." I replied.

_ "Reasonably good? That does not sound particularly reassuring." _ Tassadar pointed out.

"Does any of this? We're hunting a dream figure that enjoys talking in circles, doesn't give away very much information at all, but claims to know about other powers that have a role to play in our war, not to mention the fact that they have a major interest in Sarah, and a developing one in Nova. For all I know, it could be the Zerg, trying to mess with my head."

"Except that it doesn't change a thing." Nova pointed out. "We still have to work out who, or what, this thing is, how it's powerful enough to do this and what exactly it wants with us. We're not going to learn anything about it without finding it."

The Protoss were silent for a moment. Finally, Selendis spoke.

_ "I do not think you can know just how much I wish I could disagree with you, Nova Terra." _

"That makes two of us." I added. "I wish there was another way, but I'm damned if I can find it. And if it's after Sarah, then I don't want her anywhere nearby when we find this thing." I glared at Nova. "I wouldn't let you come either, if it wasn't for the fact that I know damn well you'd find a way to get there anyway."

She returned my glare with interest. "If you think I'm letting you walk into a trap without me, you've got another thing coming. Look at what happened the last time you ran off on your own."

I grinned. "I blew up a lot of Dominion guards, trashed their defences and stopped a lot of our people from dying, including you. What exactly is your problem with all of that?"

"You nearly ended up dead! That's my problem."

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, Nova. Thanks to you, I'm feeling about as good as I was before that fight. I'm quite prepared to put my life at risk. I'm significantly less happy about putting other people's lives at risk as well."

_ "That does not mean you should risk your life unnecessarily." _ Selendis interrupted.  _ "What you did might have worked, but it was foolhardy to say the least. That is not a wise habit for a commander." _

I did have to see the sense in that, but I wasn't prepared to back down just yet. "Sometimes, you need a little crazy for things to work. If your enemy doesn't expect you to do something, it makes it a lot easier to fool them when you do."

"Perhaps," Tassadar put in, "but the fact remains that while you should lead from the front, as good commanders do, you need to consider the risks you take carefully. How carefully did you consider what you did before you entered that fight?"

"Well enough to understand the risks. Crashing the Science Vessel was crazy, I'll buy that, but I did have the ABS and its features to get me out, and the ship was going down anyway. As for the Ghost, I didn't exactly go looking for that fight, and running away from a Ghost isn't the best idea. Neither was fighting him in close combat. I know that, but in my defence, my options were somewhat limited by that point."

Nova opened her mouth to continue, but Tassadar held up a hand.  _ "In any case, we are getting away from our current problem. Where exactly are we headed, Commander?" _

"The only clue that I have is that it's where Jim, Sarah, you and I first crossed paths."

"Tarsonis?" Nova said, surprised.

_ "Actually, no."  _ Tassadar replied.  _ "We crossed paths much earlier than that. But if it includes Sarah Kerrigan herself, then there is only one possible place." _

I nodded. "Antiga Prime. It's the first location where all of us were together at the same time. Trouble is, a planet is a very big area to search. Hopefully, we'll get some more guidance when we get there." I raised an eyebrow. "I don't suppose you noticed any powerful psionic signatures while you were there?"

"Only that of Sarah Kerrigan, although we never did land on that occasion." Tassadar replied. "Perhaps a closer look may reveal something."

"Yeah, that or whoever this is can hide their signature well enough to fool everyone." Nova said, disgruntled.

"Well, if they're there, I imagine they'll want us to find them, so I can't see it being too hard, as long as we have the right planet." I replied.

"Whether we want to find them is another thing." Selendis said quietly.

In the end, it didn't take long for us to get ready. I informed the captains that I needed to meet with people who might be friendly to our cause, told them that Jim and Sarah were in charge in my absence, and that they should not be surprised if I was out of contact for a while. After that, we said goodbye to Jim, Sarah and Matt, although Sarah made it clear that if we came back in anything less than mint condition, she'd proceed to tear us apart for doing something stupid.

10 minutes later, we were in space and heading for warp. We'd agreed not to go directly to Antiga Prime, but rather take a more roundabout route. It would add a little to the trip, but it would be worth it. Still, I couldn't help but be nervous. Two carriers and the  _ Liberator _ , on a journey that might well end in disaster. There were far too many lives at risk for my liking, but we didn't really have much choice. I'd have preferred to just take the  _ Liberator _ , though even that was putting more lives at risk than I was comfortable, but Tassadar argued that the carriers were still likely to be useful, at Shiloh if nowhere else.

Once we were in warp, I turned things over to the relief crew. Nova had made it clear that she did not want me staying on duty for any longer than was necessary, since I was still at least supposed to be recovering. Deep in thought, I made my way back to our shared quarters. Nova glanced at me as I walked in, knowing full well what I was thinking about.

"You can still back out of this, Jason."

I shook my head. "I don't think that was ever an option. There's just enough evidence to back our mystery figure and so just enough reason to find out exactly what's going on. Whether it's a trap or not, we have to find out. But I'm not happy with so many people coming along."

"That's why it's just us going down, and everyone else waits in orbit. If something happens, they should be able to escape."

"If they don't get it into their heads to try and launch a rescue mission."

"Then you'll just have to convince them it's a bad idea."

"Maybe. No chance I can convince you, is there?"

"Absolutely none."

"I didn't think so." I sighed.

She smiled. "Come on. We both need some sleep, tomorrow's going to be crazy enough as it is."


	24. A Walk in the Shadows

It took a fair while for either Nova or I to fall asleep, despite our best intentions. Both of us were more than a little worried about what exactly we were walking into. On top of that though, I was still slightly nervous about having Nova so close to me, even though I had to admit that I was enjoying it. I had spent a lot of years for the most part alone, so having someone who was able to understand me, who I could open up to, was something of a relief. Having said that, however, I didn't want her hurt, either by me or anyone else.

"You know, I can take care of myself." She grumbled.

Of course, her being telepathic was also both a blessing and a curse. I rolled over to face her.

"Just because you can take care of yourself, doesn't mean I don't worry, you know."

"Worrying about something happening to me, or about me?"

"Both, really. But then you know that."

She smiled and leant in close. "I'm counting on it. You're always thinking about everyone other than yourself. Time to think about yourself for once."

She kissed me lightly. For once, even I'd been able to read the signs correctly, and so I wasn't completely shocked. Still, I had to admit that I was surprised, but very pleasantly. I'd almost forgotten how this felt.

As she broke away, she smiled in a way that told me she knew what I was thinking. "Glad I could remind you."

I laughed. "Tease. You just can't help yourself, can you?"

"Guilty. Not that you're complaining, but I can stay out if you want me to."

I considered it, but there really was only one option now. "Not a chance in hell."

She gave me a triumphant smile. "Nice to finally see you loosen up."

"Don't count on that just yet. I'm not going to simply roll over for you right away."

"Good, I like a challenge. Now, get some sleep, or we'll be no use to anyone."

I raised an eyebrow. " _ Playing hard to get too, huh? _ " I thought at her.

" _ No, just being responsible for once, since you're not going to. _ " She replied.

" _ I'll believe you, this time. _ "

Much to my surprise, I actually had a peaceful night. I had half expected to get another 'message' during the night, but evidently, I was to be left in peace. Glancing down at the sleeping woman in my arms, I smiled. Peace. I hadn't expected to find it any time soon, yet it seemed to show up in the strangest of places. All it seemed to take was someone willing to push through the barriers I had put up over the years. Nova and her family had made the first breach in those walls, breaches that Jim, and later Sarah and Matt had exploited. But it was fitting that Nova would be the one to bring them crashing down. All I could do now was make sure that I didn't lose her.

Getting up without disturbing her, I glanced at the reports that the night crew had made. Nothing needed my attention. Glancing at the time, I turned and gently began to wake Nova. She mumbled and rolled over, still apparently asleep and happy to stay that way. I grinned as I thought of a way to wake her. After all, given last night, it was only fitting.

Leaning down, I gently kissed her. Straight away, her arms shot out and pulled me down. I could hear her laughing.

"I wondered how long it would take you to try that."

"I'll have to remember that in future."

"So, is there a particular reason that you're disturbing me? Or were you looking for some fun?" Her flirtatious attitude was proving to be highly distracting.

I nodded. "As much as I would love to stay here with you, we're almost there. We need to get up."

Seriousness came back to her, although I knew that we would have stayed if it had been practically anything else.

"I guess we'd better. Later?"

I smiled and winked. "Definitely."

By the time the pair of us were ready and in the cockpit, we had come out of warp and were approaching the planet. Looking at the view ahead of us, I couldn't help but feel the memories. The last time I'd been here, it had still been a beautiful world, although the war being fought across its surface had taken its toll. Now, while I could still see some pockets of life remaining, most of the planet was desolate. But then, being subjected to a 'purification' by a Protoss armada would tend to do that. I was surprised that as much life was left as we could see.

Coming out of my reminiscing, I began to give orders. "Take up a position in low orbit above the planet. Do a full sensor scan, let me know if anything odd comes up."

"Understood, Commander." The shift commander reported.

Jess spoke up. "Commander, I have incoming transmissions from Executor Tassadar and Master Selendis."

"Put them up."

The images of the two Protoss quickly appeared. Tassadar was the first to speak.

_ "We have begun focusing our sensors on the planet. So far, we have nothing that would be of interest to us." _

I nodded. "I imagine it's going to take some time to narrow down our search area. Still, I'd suggest that we start in the area where our bases were located. That's the most likely prospect, I think."

Selendis nodded.  _ "I would agree. We will begin our search there." _

Over the course of the next few hours, the three ships criss-crossed the space above the planet, searching for anything that might signify where we needed to go next. In the end, we all came up blank. Nova and I had returned to the tac room to watch the results, patching Tassadar and Selendis in.

"This is mad." Nova said. "We know that they have to be here somewhere. There shouldn't be nothing at all."

_ "I agree." _ Selendis added.  _ "If there was any kind of sentient life down, we should have been able to find it." _

"Could they be shielding their presence? Either technologically or psionically?" I asked.

_ "It is possible." _ Tassadar conceded.  _ "Still, to have the power they have demonstrated, and to be able to conceal it from us would be an extraordinary achievement." _

"Could we have the wrong planet?" Nova asked.

"Perhaps, but I can't think where else would be possible." I replied. "Tarsonis might be possible, I guess, but it just doesn't seem to fit."

Everyone stood in silence, thinking carefully. Finally, I made a decision, leaning towards the intercom.

"Jess, get my ship ready to launch. Stay in orbit and wait for further orders."

"Yes, sir." Jess swiftly replied.

Tassadar looked at me.  _ "You still think we are in the right place?" _

I nodded. "It makes the most sense, we might just not be able to spot it from here. We'll have to have a look planet-side."

"But where do we start?" Nova asked.

"Our last base here. It's the most logical option."

Tassadar nodded.  _ "Very well. We will prepare a ship and come with you. Just Selendis and I, since we were the only ones allowed to accompany you." _

I nodded. "We'll see you on the ground then."

Flying the armed dropship over where we had once called home, for a short time, I kept my eyes on the ground, letting Nova do most of the flying. Something out of the ordinary would have been what I would expect, but until we were about ready to move to a new area, I saw nothing that attracted my attention.

"Set us down here, Nova."

Nova glanced at me, surprised, but complied. As she throttled the engines back to idle, I opened the hatch and stared at the object that had attracted my attention. Nova moved up beside me.

"What is it?"

I shook my head. "Something I didn't expect to still be here. Something that  _ shouldn’t _ still be here."

As Tassadar and Selendis landed, Nova and I walked over to the object itself. Truth be told, I wasn't expecting to still see a Psi Emitter here intact, believing the Zerg would have destroyed it, or, failing that, the Protoss bombardment. Nova looked at it closely as the two Protoss joined us.

"Is this the Psi Emitter that you and Sarah planted?"

At that point, I was calling up the records from that battle. Buried in them was the serial number for this particular Psi Emitter. I quickly compared the records to the one in front of us.

"This is it, all right. I would have thought it would not have survived the battles here, or the bombardment afterwards. But it looks like it simply ran out of power or got switched off."

"How likely is that?" Selendis asked.

I shook my head. "Not very, I would have thought. The power reserves on these things are very decent, but they aren't exactly well armoured. This shouldn't have survived anywhere near this long."

"Is there any way that a message could have been left on it?" Nova asked.

I frowned. "I don't think so, but I don't really want to power it up to be sure. The only other way would be to pull out the storage drives, and that would take a fair bit of time." I leant forward, to try and find the access hatch for the drives, only for my hand to pass through it.

Nova blinked. "A projection?"

"Looks that way. But there's nothing maintaining it. It has to be psionic."

Selendis nodded grimly. "Indeed. It sounds as if we are on the correct path."

I noticed Tassadar suddenly stiffen and turned towards him. "What is it?"

_ "I sense another presence." _ He replied.

We all quickly turned, weapons ready. Nova closed her eyes. "I sense it too, but it isn't the same as what I've felt before."

"Not the same?" I asked, surprised.

"No. It feels like a Protoss, although different to any I've encountered before."

"For good reason." A new voice came from behind us.

Spinning around, I came face to face with a Protoss that was vastly different to any I had seen before. A cloth covered the lower part of his face and he was evidently not the same as the Protoss I knew. My eyes narrowed, waiting for the next move.

Tassadar and Selendis, however, obviously recognised him in some way. Their psi-blades ignited, and the wariness of their stance was apparent.

_ "What are you doing here, Dark One?" _ I had never heard Tassadar sound like this before, both furious and apprehensive. In contrast, the strange Protoss did nothing to threaten us at all.

_ "I could ask you the same question. What could possibly bring the mighty Executor to a world he had already purified, in the company of Terrans no less?" _

I interrupted. "I take it you know each other then."

Selendis snarled,  _ "This is one of the Dark Templar, rogues and betrayers that almost caused our race's destruction. They renounced the Khala and in doing so, nearly doomed us. They have sought our fall ever since." _

_ "That is not quite correct." _ The newcomer stated calmly.  _ "I agree that we are now estranged from our former brethren, but we have never once moved against them since our exile. After we were driven out, we chose to live apart, watching from the shadows." _

"Can't help but notice that you didn't answer Tassadar's question, though." I said far more calmly than I felt. I had seen Protoss in action before and had no desire to be caught in the middle of a duel between them.

"Who are you?" Nova asked warily, sensing the tension even better than me.

_ "I am known as Zeratul, child." _ He turned to face me.  _ "As for the question, I was drawn to this world, to seek out knowledge that may prove useful in the days to come." _

I nodded slightly. For the moment at least, I saw no reason to fight. "You obviously know Tassadar and Selendis. This is Nova, and my name is Jason."

Zeratul inclined his head.  _ "You too are known to us, Commander. Your efforts opposing the Zerg have not been unnoticed by my kin. I assume, then, that you too were drawn here." _

_ "Commander, you cannot be considering trusting him?" _ Selendis said, shocked.

"It rather sounds like he's after the same person we are. At the very least, he might be able to help us find them." I turned back to Zeratul. "I'll admit to being surprised that you know of me though, given that us Terrans are, for the most part, below the notice of the Protoss. Evidently you've kept a very close eye on this sector."

Zeratul chuckled.  _ "When we move through the shadows, there is much we can see. Do you know where to find this person you seek?" _

I frowned. "Not yet. I assume that this wasn't your doing?" I gestured to the holographic Psi Emitter.

_ "Indeed, I had not long spotted it myself before your arrival." _

I turned back to it. "Then I guess it's the best lead we've got."

Crouching back in front of the projection, I looked at it carefully, running through anything that might be of use. Nova knelt beside me and pointed at a panel.

"Isn't that a bit far out of place?" She asked.

Looking at the suspect panel, I saw what she meant. The panel should have been flat against the rest of the device, but instead it was sticking out slightly. Not enough for a quick glance to spot, but certainly obvious enough to someone who knew what it should look like. I reached out to touch it, not expecting to be able to, but found it was in fact solid. As I pressed the panel back into place, my vision faded, to be replaced with a series of images. I recognised them as following a path to the west. I had used to head out to the cliffs overlooking the ocean, enjoying the peace and quiet. I'd ended up sharing it with Jim and Sarah, revelling in the opportunity to simply take in the beauty and peace of the area, while in each other's company. As my vision returned, I knew where we had to go.

I straightened and turned, smiling. "I've got to admit it; whoever's behind this is very good."

_ "You know where we must go?" _ Tassadar asked.

"Oh yes. This way." I moved at a light jog towards the familiar path.

As we moved quickly, Zeratul asked me,  _ "What makes you so sure?" _

I smiled. "The person behind this? They've made sure from the start that I'd be able to work out a few things. They made sure that I knew that Sarah Kerrigan had to be rescued from the Zerg. They knew that we had to join forces with the Protoss to stand a chance. They knew that, with what little information they gave me, I would know to come here to Antiga Prime. And they knew that I would recognise the path they laid out. Where we end up at the end of that path, I don't know yet. But at least we can be fairly sure that we are on the right track."

_ "You seem confident." _

I shrugged. "As much as I don't like having to trust someone I don't know with enough power to turn me into a smear, if they wanted me dead, they've had plenty of chances to do it. For the moment, at least, I'll take the chance. Nova's too crazy to let me go alone, and as for Tassadar and Selendis, let's just say there's enough mutual trust between us for them to come."

_ "Partly true." _ Selendis commented.  _ "But we are also here to stop you doing anything too crazy." _

"You mean I can do something crazier than go chasing a dream figure on a dead world and blindly trust a total stranger that those I'm with believe is an enemy? This is starting to sound fun."

_ "It would seem to not be a completely successful exercise." _ Tassadar put in.

We shared a chuckle as we reached the end of the path. In front of us was an open area that finished at the cliffs above the ocean. I knew that the top of the cliffs was around 200 metres above the water, so I'd always been careful to stay away from anywhere that looked unstable. Looking around however, I saw nothing that would indicate where we should go next, and the visions I'd been given had stopped at this point.

"So, what now?" Nova asked.

"None of you are sensing anything?" I asked.

All four shook their heads. I frowned slightly. I was sure of the path that I had seen, but it seemed that we hadn't reached the end yet. But the physical path finished at the cliff's edge. The only thing beyond it was...

I turned to face the edge, walking up to it and looking over carefully. I didn't see any openings in the cliff face below us that might have indicated an alternative. I couldn't really say that I was surprised. In fact, given how our mysterious guide had been acting before, what I was thinking made perfect sense.

That  _ didn't _ mean it wasn't insane.

"You're not thinking what I think you're thinking." Nova said, realising what I had in mind.

I turned to face her. "Do you have any better ideas? I'm all ears."

The three Protoss quickly caught on, and they looked just as nervous. Selendis walked up beside me, looking down at the water herself.

_ "I would say that we've completely failed in our mission, Executor." _

Tassadar nodded.  _ "Are you certain, Commander?" _

"Honestly? No, I'm not. But I am sure that this was the right way to come. The only way we can go is forward. I hope everyone can swim."

_ "Swimming is not the problem." _ Zeratul pointed out.  _ "Getting down there is." _

"That's something I can fix."

I lay down, setting a small device on the edge of the cliff. One of the routine devices I carried with the ABS was a Magclaw. While it did have a set of powerful lasers to act as an offensive measure, its primary function was essentially to launch a long grappling hook with a trailing wire, around 300 metres long, that remained connected to the launcher. It could launch a hook and wire combination in opposite directions, allowing for travel between both hooks very rapidly, although I could also use a motorised ascender to travel the wire. In addition to using the lasers and claws to cut into the target to allow it to grip, it could also magnetically grip a surface, or seek out a target if one were placed. What I placed was a target for the Magclaw to attach to. Within a few seconds, it had fused to the cliff, giving me a secure point to use to climb the cliff when it was time to return.

Assuming of course we made it that far.

"So what's the plan?" Nova asked.

I turned to face her. "We do what we have all along." I smiled and closed the helmet's visor. "Take a chance." With that, I leapt off the cliff.

As I plunged downwards, I found myself really hoping that I wasn't going to land on top of a rock bed on the way down, and that there was enough depth in the water that I would be able to not hit the bottom. Fortunately, there was more than enough water, although the force with which I struck the ocean was still more than enough to shake me. I imagined that I would end up having a couple of bruises, although that was relatively light, all things considered.

_ "I hope you're not expecting me to heal them for you."  _ Nova was obviously unhappy with the way I'd chosen to get down, and, as usual, had no problem in letting me know that little fact.

" _ With you, I've learnt to expect the unexpected." _ I replied, loving the opportunity to stir her up a little.

_ "Why exactly do I put up with you?" _ She growled.

_ "Because I put up with everything you've dished out on me, and I do it with a smile?" _

_ "Ass. You'd better make sure that you come up with another way down if you find something." _

_ "Are you seriously saying that you didn't consider coming down the same way? Evidently I haven't taught you well enough." _

I felt a flash of amusement.  _ "Let's see if you find anything first." _

Switching on my suit lights, I replied,  _ "Assuming nothing eats me, I'll let you know." _

Looking around, I could see that the light didn't penetrate all that far into the water. The suit's sensors were of more use, however. It indicated a large underwater passage just below me. Turning and heading for it, I made sure that I was recording the route. I was sure that Nova was following my path as well, but I wanted a backup.

_ "Don't trust me, huh?" _

_ "Boy, someone's in a bad mood today. You get out of the wrong side of the bed or something?" _

_ "Watch it, Jason. My patience isn't that good." _

_ "The fact you haven't sent a psionic blast at me yet would tend to say the opposite. The passage's opening up a bit. I think it might be turning up too." _

_ "Yeah, it is. You just wait until I get down there. Then you can judge my patience for yourself." _

_ "Have you worked out how you're going to get down yet? Or better yet, back up?" _

If she had been in front of me, I was reasonably sure that the look she would have been shooting me would have been lethal.

As I kept going, it was very clear that I was heading back up. It didn't take long for my head to break the surface. Looking around, I could see the passageway continuing up out of the water and vanishing into darkness. I smiled, glad that another chance had worked out.

_ "Nova, it looks like we're on the right track. The passageway continues out of the water. You want me to come back and give you a line down here?" _

In reply, she sent me an image of the four of them dropping down into the water, although they were using their psionics to break their fall. Nova had her mask on and the Protoss didn't need to breathe, so drowning wasn't likely to be a problem. I chuckled, amused that Nova had decided not to find another way down. It didn't take long for them to find their way through to where I was. As I pulled Nova out of the water, the look on her face was a mixture of annoyance, excitement and nervousness.

"Enjoy your flight?" I asked, grinning.

"We are going to talk about this." She promised.

"Yep. Not now though, we're still on the clock." Turning back to the passageway, I drew my shotgun and activated its powerful light. "What do you all think? Into the belly of the beast?"

The only answer I got were the Protoss igniting their own Psi-blades and Nova drawing her own gun.

Turning, I led the way ahead. No one said a word as we continued, the tension becoming overwhelming. Everyone was understandably on edge, and even I had to admit that this wasn't such a good idea anymore. Tracking down an unknown force with exceptional power didn't seem like a particularly smooth move right now.

_ "Like you said, Jason, we've just got to take a chance."  _ Nova thought, although her own fears were beginning to mount.

_ "More than one. You know, that look really suits you at the moment." _

She turned to face me, stunned.  _ "We're quite possibly walking into hell, and you're thinking about how I look?" _

_ "Sure. Very nice figure, soaking wet suit covering you but making the imagination run wild? It would be hard for you to be more attractive right now." _

Nova's astonishment was apparent, before she realised.  _ "You're trying to take my mind off things, aren't you?" _

_ "Only partly." _

Her laughter rang through my head.  _ "Well then, you'll just have to make sure we survive this to see how close you are, won't you?" _

I chuckled mentally, knowing that the Protoss would not understand me laughing right now. Suddenly Tassadar stopped.  _ "I sense something ahead." _ He said quickly.

The other Protoss and Nova quickly closed their eyes, focussing their powers ahead. For my part, I kept my weapon ready, scanning for anything.

Nova nodded. "I recognise the presence. We're in the right place."

"Always good to know." I replied. "Any idea how far?"

Zeratul shook his head.  _ "Whoever it is, they must be suppressing their power. But I agree, this presence is familiar." _

"Well, we've come this far. No point turning back now." We continued on, sweeping the area for any sign of our guide. But as we progressed, we still found no indication of their presence. Finally, we stopped again.

"I can feel them strongly. We must be very close." Selendis said slowly.

_ "Indeed you are." _ A voice echoed in everyone's minds. I too recognised it from the dreams, but now it seemed I could tell more about it. It was clearly a female voice, and it was almost familiar in other ways.

"Who are you?" I asked, looking around carefully. Then in front of us, I saw a shape begin to appear.

As the figure began to emerge from the shadows, she, and she it was, was clearly almost human, but one glance told me straight away that she couldn't possibly be. No human has  _ wings _ sprouting from their back, or glowing purple eyes.

Then she replied softly. "I am the Queen of Blades, but I was once known as Sarah Kerrigan."


	25. The Answers We Seek

Shock.

There was no other way to describe what I felt at that moment. Pure, unmitigated shock.

As she moved closer, I could make out more of her features. She was infested, that much was clear. I was familiar enough with the Zerg, and infested Terrans, to recognise that. But I knew Sarah well enough to recognise the features that were hers as well. The biggest hint was her expression, a sadness that I had seen all too often.

Even though all of us had weapons drawn and ready to strike, she did nothing, simply waiting for us to make our move. She looked directly at me, waiting for my reaction.

On one hand, I had a Zerg standing in front of me. Months of experience told me to start emptying the shotgun's magazine in her direction.

On the other, a woman who claimed to be Sarah Kerrigan had guided us here. Given how much power she would likely have, if she wanted us dead, we would be already. But I was fairly sure that she had helped us on Tarsonis. Even if I left aside all her talk of other powers, that was evidence that was sufficiently compelling to at least listen to.

In the end, it was enough for me. Lowering the gun, although I kept it ready, I asked, "How is this possible?"

She smiled slightly, a smile that was all Sarah. "I'm not the Sarah Kerrigan that you know, but nonetheless I share much of my history with her. One pivotal moment was all it took to set us on different paths."

"New Gettysburg." I realised. "Without your warning, we wouldn't have been expecting trouble, or been ready to go down there. We would have been too late."

"Yes. In the timeline that I came from, I was captured there by the Zerg. Everyone had thought I was dead, but while I was undergoing my transformation, I managed to reach out to Jim and Mengsk. Jim came and Mengsk sent Duke, but both were too late. I was already claimed by the Swarm and its influence. While a part of me remained aware of what was happening, the hive mind meant I had no choice but to obey the directives of the Overmind. From that day on, I was one of the most feared people in the sector, and after the Overmind fell at your hands, Tassadar, I eventually became the leader of the Swarm."

She lowered her head and sorrow was apparent in her voice. "Even without what I did, that was more than enough for me to become the most feared and hated being of all."

She looked back at me. "Billions died because of me, because I wasn't able to remove the influence that was over the Zerg from me. I worked with practically everyone in the sector, then betrayed them as soon as I had no further need of them. By the time Jim succeeded in freeing me from that influence, it was too late for us."

"Wait, back up a bit." I interrupted. "I imagine that you'll explain this whole timeline thing at some point, but you became the leader of the Swarm? I assume that the Overmind was the original leader, but how the hell did it die?"

"After Jim discovered me on Char after my transformation, he was cut off from his fleet. During that time Tassadar and Zeratul arrived, though separately. I was hunting all of them, but they managed to survive long enough for a Protoss fleet to evacuate them. During that time, they worked out that the energies of the Dark Templar were the only weapons able to kill the Overmind and its commanders, or Cerebrates as the Overmind referred to them as. Unfortunately, when Zeratul slew one, the Overmind managed to touch his mind and learnt the location of Aiur."

_ "Our home-world!" _ Selendis gasped.

"Yes. The Zerg descended on it and slaughtered much of the population. Only the rebellion of Tassadar against the Protoss leaders, and the alliance between him, Jim and Zeratul was able to slow the advance. Tassadar sacrificed himself to destroy the Overmind. But the slaughter did not end."

I closed my eyes. "Of course not. That would have been too easy."

"After the Overmind's death, the Zerg fractured. The remaining Cerebrates maintained control over most of the swarm. The majority of them merged together to begin forming a new Overmind. By that time, I was free of the Overmind's control however, and so I was able to control a portion of the swarm myself. But while I might have been free of the Overmind, I wasn't free of the wider influence on the Zerg."

"Wait? Wider influence?" Nova asked.

"Yes. The Zerg were not always the mindless monsters that they appear. They were forced to obey an overriding directive, consume all life. The hive mind was the corruption of the Zerg, and the sector has already begun to pay the price. The Overmind was created to impose that directive, but it too was trapped within its own mind. It could come up with only one way to break that leash."

I took a step back as I realised the implications. "You."

The others looked at me.  _ "What do you mean?" _ Selendis asked.

"Think about it. None of the Zerg that were under the Overmind's direct control, or that were spawned, would ever be able to escape the Overmind's control. The Zerg are directed psionically, we know that. But if someone with enough psionic power could be infested, but still retain their own free will, and the Overmind was destroyed..."

Nova's eyes went wide. "They might be able to take control of the Zerg and break that directive."

Zeratul objected.  _ "That could only work if they were already free of this so-called influence over the Zerg." _

Something else registered at that point. "You said that Jim helped you remove the Zerg influence?"

The Queen of Blades nodded. "He led a task force to Char, with an alien artefact, capable of reversing the infestation. While it wiped out a lot of Zerg, it turned me back to being mostly human."

I raised an eyebrow. "Evidently not permanently."

"No, the artefact worked perfectly. But shortly after, Jim was captured by Mengsk. With no other option, and blinded by vengeance, I returned to the Zerg, and, at Zeratul's suggestion, I found the birth-world of the Zerg. Those of them that remained there did not have the hive mind, or were affected by the corruption, so when I allowed myself to be re-infested, I remained free too."

I looked at Zeratul. He looked as confused as I did.  _ "I told you to go to this place, and re-infest yourself?" _

"You had learnt of this influence and were trying to find a way to stop it from destroying us all. You came to the conclusion that if I was free but remained in command of the Swarm and with my full powers, we might stand a chance. You guided Jim in much the same way."

_ "One thing confuses me." _ Tassadar said _. "You have mentioned Jim, Zeratul and myself taking an active part in the war. What of Jason, or Nova?" _

She fell silent, looking at me with something I could only describe as grief and sorrow. I realised then what had happened.

"We weren't in the picture." I concluded.

Everyone looked at me as I continued. "If we hadn't got down to New Gettysburg in time, then it's likely we wouldn't have found Nova, either. So, I imagine that she was conscripted into the Dominion Ghost program."

The Queen nodded. "As for you." She bit her lip, obviously finding it hard to continue. "I killed you."

My eyes widened. I had expected that I'd obviously died somewhere along the way in her timeline, but I hadn't expected that she had killed that version of me.

"How?" I breathed.

The Queen bowed her head. "You never forgave yourself for failing to reach me in time. You stayed with the Raiders just long enough to get them off Tarsonis, then you vanished. All through the war on Char and Aiur, and the battle for control of the Zerg and the sector after it, you were nowhere to be found. It wasn't until after I had cemented my control of the Swarm that we found you, quite by accident."

I thought about it. Would not being able to rescue Sarah in time have done that much damage to me? Make me completely abandon everything and everyone I had fought with for so long? I grimaced as I worked out that, yes, it was quite possible.

"By that time, only one Cerebrate remained, the one that had aided me to reach my position. I couldn't risk having it around, so I exiled it here, to Antiga Prime. It and its brood arrived, only to find you already here."

She shook her head. "Even now, I can scarcely believe it. A full, battle-hardened Zerg brood, with a capable commander, against no more than 1000 terrans that had been out of war for over a year, led by a man that blamed himself for everything that had gone wrong."

"Just how badly were we annihilated?" I asked, not sure I wanted to know.

She smirked. "Not at all. Despite everything, you were still good enough, and had enough of a spark left, to rally your people and defend against the assault. You knew the land, and the Zerg's capabilities. By the time the Cerebrate begged me for help, you'd destroyed over half of its forces, with minimal losses of your own. It wasn't until I arrived, with the entire Swarm at my back, that you even started to look like losing."

She turned away slightly; pain evident in her stance. "In the end, we met face to face, in the very spot where we had set the Psi Emitter, so long before. No human was ever able to best me in open combat, but on that day, you fought like a man possessed."

Despite the grim tale, I chuckled slightly. "Haven't you ever heard? There's nothing so dangerous as a man with nothing left to lose."

"Funny. You said the exact same thing to me before we fought. You stayed too close for me to be able to use my psionics, and in any case I didn't want to kill you."

_ "Why?" _ Selendis asked.

"Why kill an enemy when you can turn them." I replied. "I imagine that was your reasoning then."

She nodded glumly. "Only partly though. I'd betrayed Jim by that point, and destroyed everything I had fought for, before my infestation. Jim swore to kill me. When I found out you were still alive, enough humanity remained that I didn't want to kill you. Not that you gave me a choice. You'd obviously still heard what I was like and how I treated people. When I gained the upper hand, you blew yourself up, rather than surrender to me."

I considered that idea. Again, there was far too much that seemed like what I would do in that situation for me to be able to refute it.

"I can understand that. I've always believed in free will. I think I would rather die, than lose that, infestation or otherwise."

"I don't blame you in the slightest now. Then, I was infuriated, despairing and relieved. I knew how much of an ally you could have been to the Swarm, but the small human part of me was glad that you didn't have to go through what I did, and by my own hand. Still, I had caused your death, and I couldn't forget that either. I couldn't bring myself to finish off your people. After that battle, I returned to Char and remained there for several years. Partly because I had achieved what I needed by that point, but also, I was tired of the bloodshed. It was only when I discovered the existence of the artefact that I began to move openly in the sector again. Jim ended up beating me to it. He joined forces with half the Dominion fleet, and launched the assault on Char."

She looked me in the eye. "That was the only battle that I never threw myself completely into."

"Why not?"

"That day on Antiga Prime, the human part of me began to break free of the bonds the Zerg had placed on her. There were really only you and Jim that I could have considered friends before the Zerg. Knowing I was responsible for the death of one friend, that part was not going to let Jim die too. She threw herself into the fight, working to stop the Queen of Blades. In the end, she managed to break through just enough for Jim to succeed."

She sighed. "That day, and when Jim and I killed Mengsk, was probably the only victories that we had in the final war. After that, nothing made a difference. We united the sector. Protoss, Zerg and Terran, standing side by side against abominations that aimed to consume us all. It still wasn't enough."

I remained silent. It didn't take a genius to work out this was as hard for her to tell as it was for us to hear.

Finally, she continued. "I thought watching on, beating on the prison walls of my mind, while my body was inflicting such horrors on those around me was bad. Watching everyone die around you, despite everything you can do? It turned out to be far worse. I held Jim in my arms as he faded. I watched humanity be consumed, the Protoss be slaughtered, and the Zerg fighting among themselves before their extinction. Finally, I was all that was left."

She laughed bitterly. "The Queen of Blades. The most hated being in the sector. Surviving until the end, against those committing horrors that made mine look like kindness, and able to recognise that fact. Fate does not appear to like me very much."

"So how did you survive?" I asked quietly.

"Once the battle was lost, I ran. Not something I'm proud of, but there's a long list of those deeds. They tracked me from place to place, until finally I was cornered on Aiur. I knew it was pointless to fight, but I couldn't go down without one. They destroyed me. My body was completely ripped apart, but my mind somehow escaped, was pulled out. I still don't completely understand how. I was weak, but I had been able to project myself mentally for a long time. I managed to project myself away from that place, and to here. But something else happened. Not only did I pass through space but crossed dimensions as well."

"A final gift from the Overmind, perhaps?" I wondered.

"Maybe. Either way, I found myself here. I spied on the colonists and worked out what had happened. Over time, I was able to gain enough strength and biomass back to recreate the body I lost. The brief Zerg assault here helped with that."

_ "I did not think travelling between dimensions was possible."  _ Tassadar said suspiciously.

"Neither did I. Either way, it doesn't matter right now."

_ "I am not so sure of that. While the powers of the Void work like what you have described, they are not nearly powerful enough to achieve that feat." _ Zeratul said.

Diplomatically, I put in. "I guess what they're trying to say is how on earth can we trust you? You have to admit, it's a pretty unbelievable story."

"Oh, I know. The other half of that question is how do you know that any of this is real? For all you know, I could simply be something the Overmind created to lure you into a trap."

_ "The thought had occurred to us." _ Selendis said quietly.

"If it hadn't, you wouldn't be the people that I know you to be. Ultimately, I have nothing I can really use to convince you that I am who I say I am."

I paused as a thought occurred. Glancing at Nova, I saw her grimace but nod.

"That may not be entirely correct." She said, looking at the Queen of Blades.

"What do you mean?" The Queen looked surprised.

I stepped forward. "You obviously still have your memories. Faking one or two might be possible, but an entire lifetime?"

She stared at me. "You want me to show you everything. Do you have any idea what you're asking? The risks you're taking?"

"And the risks you're asking us to take? You want me to tell one of my best friends that in order to save everyone, she has to give herself to the Zerg, and another that he has to watch the woman he loves get twisted into something else? I'd be lucky to survive that, let alone convince them. And if I can't and you're right, then we all burn. Damn big risk from where I'm standing, and something I sure as hell want to be sure about before I do it."

She closed her eyes. "I hadn't planned to be quite so blunt about that, but yes. And it is a big risk. But entering my mind, it could destroy you."

"Perhaps," Nova spoke up. "But without that knowledge, we're already dead."

"You're the one who told me my whole career was taking chances and seeing them come out right. This might be bigger than most, but that doesn't make it less necessary." I added.

"I've already seen you die once. I've no desire to see it again."

"Then show me what I need to know now. The rest can wait for another time."

The Queen walked right up to me, her eyes seeing deep into me. "You always were determined, weren't you?"

"Isn't that why you contacted me in the first place?" I countered.

She smiled. "Perhaps it was you who needed to survive, not me."

"I think we'll do better with all of us, working together. If this turns out to be true, that is."

"Of course. Are you ready?" She asked, holding out her hands.

I took them. "As I'll ever be."

_ Images and emotions flashed through my mind. I recognised New Gettysburg and the horrifying scenes of the Zerg overrunning everything in their path. I watched Sarah throw everything she had into holding them off, hoping desperately for extraction. I felt her despair when she realised that no one was coming. I felt her agony as the Zerg began to change her body, and watched her mind be twisted and warped until what humanity she had left was buried so deep that no one would ever find it. _

_ I felt her ecstasy as she emerged from her chrysalis, fully infested and ready to serve the swarm, and the utter horror of the tiny remnant of her humanity at finding what she had become. I felt the overwhelming pressure of the Overmind's control press upon her, to a point where it was impossible to register that there had ever been anything else. I felt her conflicting emotions as she realised that Jim was among her opponents. I watched her humanity break through long enough to allow him to leave. I watched her threaten the Cerebrates, gain access to the Ghost Program files, hunt the Protoss across Char, and finally watch them escape, with Jim. _

_ I felt the shock as the Overmind died, and the overload of information it gave her at the moment of its demise. Its imprisonment within its own mind, its understanding of its intended purpose, and the chance it foresaw to defy its masters. I felt her astonishment as she realised that it had planned her infestation, and its own death, to ensure she gained control of the swarm. Finally, I felt her determination to do the impossible; reunite the swarm by whatever means possible and oppose those who had once enslaved them, even though she expected to die in the attempt. _

As I came back to myself, I found I wasn't able to stand on my own. Only the fact that both the Queen and Nova were supporting me, in the Queen's case with wings as well as hands, was keeping me upright. The three Protoss looked rather unsure of what exactly they should do. I shook my head a couple of times, trying to regain my balance.

"It will take some time for you to adjust and truly assemble what I have shown you into a form that you can use." The Queen said, looking apologetic.

"Jason?" Nova asked.

I nodded slightly, and rested one hand on the wall of the chamber. "That was rather intense."

"I did warn you." The Queen said, frowning.

"I know. Frankly, I'd be stunned if it wasn't intense." I managed to look at her, a new respect for her in my mind. I had been inclined to believe her before. Now, I was certain of her honesty. "Just seeing that was enough, but living it? It's a wonder you're still sane."

She chuckled. "And you haven't even seen it all yet."

I looked at Nova, raising an eyebrow. She understood perfectly, diving into my mind and seeing everything that I had just been shown. It didn't take long for her to finish. She took a shaky step backwards, before looking at the Queen.

"That is one hell of a story."

I glanced at the Protoss. "Are you willing to see it for yourselves?"

They looked at each other before nodding reluctantly. Nova stepped back to them, and the four quickly began to view the vision themselves. I turned back to the Queen.

"You mentioned that there were other powers starting to make their own moves. I assume that the Ghost on New Folsom was one of their agents."

"Yes. He serves those that would control the Zerg. You were extraordinarily lucky to survive that encounter."

I raised an eyebrow. "You know who he is?"

"I have my suspicions but nothing more, not yet. So be careful. I would imagine you will see him again, and fighting him hand to hand is probably not the best idea. Certainly not until you're more proficient yourself."

I smiled slightly. "I'll do my best, but war is rarely fought on friendly terms. One other thing confuses me though. Why did you interfere at New Gettysburg?"

She looked surprised. "Why wouldn't I?"

"You've just proceeded to tell me that Sarah has to be infested. Why not then?"

She nodded in understanding. "A couple of reasons. Firstly, I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Necessary or not, I was able to stop it, and I knew that I should."

"Well I can't complain on that count. We ended up with her free, plus Nova and the Protoss siding with us after that fight, which we wouldn't have had otherwise."

She chuckled. "Very true. But I also interfered because of you. That battle had to play out differently. The only way that might have meant you would stay on-board was if Sarah escaped. I didn't expect you to get the Protoss and Nova out too, or have such a big force follow you."

"You gave me warning. It's really quite amazing what you can do with some notice."

I thought carefully about my next words. "I'm going to have to work out what to tell Sarah and Jim about all this. But I'm certainly not going to force either of them into this. Whether we face the end-times or not, I will not decide for them."

She smiled. "I'd be appalled if you did. As you said, we all need to work together. If you forced her, then I imagine she would hate you as much as Mengsk. That would not be beneficial to anyone. In any case, you wouldn't be the man I know you to be if you did."

"Good. That would be crossing one line too many for me."

She smiled. "There are a couple of other things you should probably know now. While I was showing you my past, I took the liberty of establishing a mental link between us. It may be useful for us to be able to communicate more directly after today."

I considered that idea. While I wasn't overly keen on letting other people into my head, I'd already allowed Nova in. There was no way that I'd be able to keep the Queen out, but I appreciated the courtesy of telling me, even if she hadn't asked before doing so. However, if I was honest with myself, I might have suggested such a thing in any case. "That's probably a good idea, thank you. I don't really want to have to rely on being unconscious if you need to tell me something."

She laughed. "I can see how that might be a problem. If there had been another way, I'd have taken it, but even talking to you directly wouldn't have worked then, I suspect."

"Probably not. You said there were a couple of things?"

"I've already told you that the Zerg are on the move. Just be careful. They won't stop trying to take Sarah, and they won't care how many people they have to kill to get her."

I grimaced. "That is going to be a problem. Especially if Sarah agrees that this is necessary. I can't just see us rocking up to the Zerg and handing her over as being likely to work. Talking to the Overmind might end up being necessary, but that's got its own set of problems."

"I agree it would be the best chance, but the Overmind is on Char, perhaps the most heavily defended Zerg world around. Just getting to it would be a major undertaking. If you got its attention beforehand, you might be able to do it."

"Convince it to talk to us? That's a tall order. But then I guess it's no worse than everything else."

Behind me, Nova and the three Protoss had finished their telepathic discussion and moved up behind me.

"So what you're essentially saying is that we have a lot of impossible tasks to pull off?" Nova summed up.

I shrugged. "As long as they're merely impossible, we're still in the fight." I turned to the Protoss. "What do you think about all of this?"

Selendis spoke nervously.  _ "I may not be fully convinced just yet, but I do not believe we can ignore this. If you think that we must act, I will support you." _

Tassadar nodded.  _ "When the impossible is eliminated, the improbable, however unlikely, must be the answer. I agree, there is simply too much risk to set this aside." _

_ "My brethren must be told of this. I came here for knowledge, and I agree that we now have it. But the time for war is upon us. I will stand with you." _ Zeratul said simply.

I glanced at Nova. She smiled. "We've come this far together. We can't turn back now."

I nodded, looking at the Queen. "Then it's time for us to go. There is much that we have to do, and little time, if we are to succeed."

She smiled. “I’ll show you a shortcut." Turning around, she led us through another passageway that spiralled up. As we reached the top, a wall of rock blocked our progress, but with a brief flash of psionics, she moved it aside. As we emerged, we found ourselves on top of an island off the coast. Before I could ask about how we were supposed to get back to the shuttles, her psionics flared once more, and I turned to see our shuttles approach and land around us."

"Nice tricks." I commented.

"I've had some time to practice and focus my skills." She grinned.

I chuckled. "I imagine you would. Until we meet again, then."

She nodded, before stepping forward and giving me a brief hug. "Thank you, Jason. Good luck."

"To us all. We're going to need it."


	26. The talk no one should have

Rather than immediately going back to our own ships, all of us that had been on the planet assembled on the  _ Liberator _ . Before we left, we all knew we had to discuss what we had learned. It was a sombre group that gathered in the tac room.

"First things first, then. Does anyone doubt that we were told the truth down there?" I began.

Zeratul shook his head.  _ "As much as I could wish it were otherwise, I fear that we were not lied to. Someone with as much power as she wielded would have no need to lie to us, if she planned to betray us." _

Tassadar nodded.  _ "Indeed. She could have destroyed us all with ease. Nor do I see that she would be able to assume command of the Swarm if the Overmind fell. I am familiar with the hive mind of the Zerg, given our experience in battling them. While she possessed a remnant of it, it was different to what exists here. I do not believe she could take control of the Swarm, unless she was infested here, and I do not see how that can take place." _

Selendis looked unsure.  _ "I hope you are right, Executor. Otherwise, we may find ourselves facing a much graver threat." _

"You think she was lying?" Nova asked.

_ "I have not been able to sense any untruths in what she has shown us. Nonetheless, she is Zerg." _

"It's a fair point. She may not have lied, but she definitely hasn't shown us everything." I replied.

Selendis nodded.  _ "Indeed." _

I sighed. "Still, right now, I think we have no choice but to take her seriously. She said that Kerrigan had to be infested, but then allowed us to prevent it at New Gettysburg."

"She did say that was partly to ensure you hung around, Jason." Nova pointed out.

"Yes, but it's started to change a lot of things. Without that, none of us would be here, or working together. We wouldn't have  _ Terra Firma _ on our side, and the Dylar and New Folsom missions would have been a lot less successful, if they could have been attempted at all. You really think she could have planned and accounted for all of that? That one little action has given us a much better chance against the Zerg."

I held up a hand to forestall the interruptions. "I'm not saying that we should trust her completely. I agree, it's against the grain to trust a Zerg. But she's definitely not your standard Zerg."

_ "On that, we can agree." _ Tassadar replied.

"Right. The problem is that while there's little evidence to support her, there's even less to prove her wrong. Ultimately there may be only one way to be sure of the truth of her story."

Selendis looked confused.  _ "How do you suggest we determine that?" _

"She mentioned that Jim used an artefact to restore her humanity. If we can find that artefact, that might just be the evidence we need. Regrettably, we have no idea where to look for it, nor really know anything about it."

_ "There may be an alternative." _ Zeratul added.  _ "She also mentioned that I had become aware of the influence independently. If I did not learn of it from the Zerg, where did I discover that?" _

"A good point. The problem with both is that we're not likely to be able to prove or disprove her account any time soon." Nova pointed out.

"Right. So we need to make a decision based on instinct." I added. "We need to talk to Sarah and Jim about this, as soon as we can."

Nova snorted. "Let me know when so I can be on the other side of the sector."

"I'm not saying it's going to be an easy discussion, but it's one we need to have, and soon. The Zerg could move to take Sarah at any time, and I'm not sure we can withstand a concentrated attack by them long enough to escape, with or without Sarah."

_ "So, what exactly do you suggest?" _ Selendis asked

I paused, considering the possibilities. "Tassadar, is it possible to get a small Observer and Arbiter fleet to the outskirts of the Char system? Close enough that we can monitor the planet without being detected?"

Tassadar nodded.  _ "I believe it can be done, but why?" _

"I doubt they can infest Sarah the way that they'll need to just anywhere, or that they would risk it. If I were them, I'd bring her back to the main stronghold, and we can be fairly sure that that planet is likely to be Char. Even if the Zerg managed to take Sarah, they can't get back to Char instantly. But with the Arbiters, we might be able to set up an ambush for them when they arrive. Take Sarah back, and perhaps force the Overmind to talk to us."

_ "That is incredibly risky, Commander." _ Selendis objected.

"Last-ditch options tend to be that way. It's a long way from being my preferred option, but I'll be damned if we're going to let them take Sarah without one hell of a fight, whether she needs to be infested or not."

_ "That is good to know. Short of that, what do you want to do?" _ Selendis asked.

"Let me talk to Jim and Sarah. That's one discussion I really don't want to have, but they deserve to know."

_ "And if Sarah refuses to allow herself to be infested?" _ Tassadar asked.

"I'm sure as hell not going to force her, or abandon her. It's her call, and no one else has the right to make that decision for her. Not us, not Jim and definitely not the Zerg."

Nova glanced up. "There's one other thing I'm not sure about."

"Oh?"

"The Queen said that she was re-infested after the artefact was used. How? She made it sound as though it was a different process to what the Zerg used."

"She did, didn't she?" I pondered that for a moment. "It might have something to do with the location. She mentioned that the Zerg still on the birth-world didn't have the hive mind or the corruption that she claimed was a part of the Zerg, which was why she went there. Maybe there are other differences as well."

_ "Could Sarah use that place to become infested, rather than whatever the Overmind uses?" _ Tassadar asked.

"I doubt it. Even if we knew where it was, it wouldn't give her the hive mind connection she needs to control the Zerg."

_ "So, there isn't really any other option." _ Zeratul summed up.

"Oh there is. We can't assume that Sarah will choose to do this, I wouldn't be keen on it in her position. Really, there isn't any point in continuing to go round in circles, until she and Jim are filled in."

The others all nodded, silently agreeing.

"So, for the moment, let's just think this over and concentrate on the next task. Shiloh is going to be interesting enough as it is."

The rest of the trip was something of a blur. When we made contact with Mike Hammond, he seemed quite pleased to see us. He told us that the Dominion had arrived and begun to set up shop, but he knew a few places within the system where we could properly search the  _ Hyperion _ for unwanted devices. I was able to tell him that we could provide some covert support for him, but being openly associated with us was likely to cause them more problems than it would solve. Thankfully, he understood that quite well. He gave me his private comm channel and told me to call when I was ready.

With the official reason for our trip now finished, we set a course to rejoin the fleet. For the first time, however, I wasn't overly keen to get back. Sarah, Jim and I had been through a lot together, and I considered them practically family. Even so, I couldn't see either of them reacting well to what I had to tell them. Going around in circles wasn't proving to be much help either. It would have helped to have some evidence that would prove or disprove the Queen's claims. Unfortunately, the only option to get more intel was the Overmind, unless the Queen was more forthcoming with information and we could come up with a way to confirm it.

_ "All you needed to do was ask." _ I suddenly heard, amusement plain in her mental voice.

_ "Exactly how long have you been listening?" _ I demanded.

_"I never_ _stopped."_ The Queen replied. _"I do try not to invade people's privacy, but I believe it is important to keep you alive and heading in the right direction."_

_ "Even when we don't completely trust you?" _

_ "Especially then. But I know you well enough to know that you look for the truth, so I have no reason to doubt you." _

I sighed.  _ "You'll forgive me for not necessarily being happy about you being able to read me like a book." _

She laughed.  _ "Believe me, I can understand it well. If there was another option, I'd take it." _

_ "You're not worried about this other power sensing your presence through this link?" _

_ "It's a risk, but they'd have to be in close proximity to either you or me. No one comes to Antiga Prime now, particularly without me being aware of it, and you're good enough to keep an eye out yourself, especially forewarned." _

_ "About that. You haven't exactly told us what we're up against. You said the Zerg were under the control of another power, but you haven't said who that is, or what other plans they might have." _

_ "There are some things you need to find out for yourself. Trust me, when you come across one of their agents, you'll have no trouble recognising that. There are some that are shape-shifters though, so they will be harder to spot. Besides, you're pretty damn good at this anyway. From so little information, you came up with the right conclusions." _

_ "Like you not being able to control the Swarm yourself?" _

_ "Yes. As Tassadar pointed out, I would need to be infested here to be able to do that, and I can't do that without being de-infested. I've been through that once and only barely survived. I'm not in a rush for another brush with death just yet." _

_ "Since you were listening, any other conclusions we drew that were right?" _

_ "Well you're quite right about finding the artefact. If you could do that, it would go a long way. Unfortunately, even I can't help with that. I never managed to recover any of the pieces, although I learned of the locations of a couple. I'll give you what I know when the time is right. You're also right about the hive mind being vital for Sarah's infestation, which is why I didn't suggest you go to the Zerg birth-world." _

_ "Again, you won't give us that info." _

_ "Not yet. There's a lot that has to happen before that becomes relevant to you."  _ Her voice softened.  _ "As much as I wish there was another way, some things have to happen the same way as what happened to me. Just because you have knowledge of the future, doesn't mean that changing it is the right thing to do." _

_ "I assume you don't want me to tell Sarah about you, either." _

_ "If you absolutely have to, then do it. But if she does become infested, then that knowledge may fall into the hands of our enemy." _

I grimaced. Assuming that everything she had said was true, then that was the last thing I wanted. But convincing Sarah and Jim of that possibility without revealing the source of that information was likely to be problematic, particularly given I had no other real evidence to back up.

_ "You're going to have to give me something to work with, aside from the Overmind. Otherwise, I'm going to have to pray for a Zerg assault that takes Sarah, and that scares me more than anything. I really don't like thinking along those lines." _

_ "I don't blame you, although I can understand your reasoning. Sending that fleet to Char is a good idea, and a nice back-up plan. But solving your problem isn't an easy task." _

_ "If it was easy, someone else would be doing it."  _ Nova's voice suddenly echoed through my mind. Glancing up, I saw her walk into our quarters. She smiled and came over, sitting beside me.

_ "Indeed. I wasn't aware that you could tap into this link, Nova."  _ The Queen sounded surprised.

_ "You're not the first to have built a mental link with Jason."  _ Nova replied coolly.

_ "That explains it. I must admit, I was surprised at how quickly he adapted to the idea." _

_ "Well, he has proven to be rather adaptable. Just be careful about how fast you push, he does break." _

_"I'm still here, you_ _know."_ I complained.

I got two sets of laughter. Rolling my eyes, I continued.  _ "You still haven't answered the question." _

_ "Do you have to mention me by name?" _ The Queen asked.  _ "You might be able to get away with the fact that you didn't know my identity." _

_ "I'd prefer to avoid mentioning you at all, if I can avoid it. If I was Sarah, I would have absolutely no problem in looking into my mind to see if I was lying, or misled. On something like this, I've no doubt she'd do it. I'd rather have something else to back this up if I can." _

_ "I could teach you how to block your thoughts, and I probably should at some point, but you're right. I'll see what I can come up with."  _ Her tone turned playful.  _ "Enjoy yourselves." _

I shook my head in amusement. As I looked at Nova, I saw her blushing slightly, which amused me even more. Clearly she was up to something, and I had a feeling that I'd enjoy whatever it was she had in mind. I raised an eyebrow.

"Something you want to tell me?" I asked.

She smiled nervously. "Let's just say I don't much like the idea of anyone being in your head but me."

"Getting possessive now, are you?" I couldn't resist teasing her slightly.

"And what if I am?"

I grinned. "You do wear jealousy well, you know. Not quite as well as some other things, though."

"Would you care to elaborate on that?" She purred, evidently in a flirtatious mood.

"As if you don't know already." Despite the multiple problems that had been occupying my mind over the last few days, I had still caught myself thinking about Nova a lot. Nova had naturally seen them, and she was quite good at encouraging them. I remembered having chuckled to myself, watching Jim get caught out by Sarah when we first met. Now that I had the same thing happening to me, I had a lot more sympathy for him.

"True." She admitted. Leaning in close, she whispered. "Now, I think it's time to finish up for the night. I'm going to get ready, and I suggest you do the same."

Chuckling, she stood up and walked away to shower, leaving my head spinning, again.

Yep, I was definitely lost. She did tend to have that effect on me.

I didn't expect Nova to take long, and I wasn't disappointed. Just as I'd managed to finish up everything I needed to deal with, she was out, dressed only in a thin robe. She raised an eyebrow as I turned to face her.

I shrugged. "As much as I'd like to, I can't simply drop everything in an instant. Not even at your command."

"Command, huh? I'll have to get used to that."

I snorted. "Right, you want to run this bunch? Be my guest."

"No, that's what I keep you around for."

"Nice to know I'm useful for something."

My face fell as thoughts of what was coming began to re-emerge. Nova didn't need to read my mind to know what I was thinking about. She sat down beside me and simply looked at me. I sighed, all too aware that I wasn't going to get away without saying anything.

"It's crazy, you know. I've only known Sarah for about 6 months, and Jim a couple of years. But after everything we've been through together, we're like family. We trust each other with everything."

Nova waited silently, knowing I had more to say.

"So how do I tell someone who's like a sister to me that she probably has to be infested, and the man who loves her that he has to let her, despite the very real risk of her becoming a monster? It would almost be easier if I knew it had to happen, but I can't be sure yet."

Nova kept quiet, knowing I had a bigger problem than that with this whole situation, despite how crazy it was.

Finally I admitted it. "It feels like I'm planning to betray them both."

"You're worried about becoming like Mengsk." Nova finally spoke up, putting an arm around me. "Now you know that's not the case. Tarsonis proved that."

"Did it?" I asked. "No one reasonable or sane should be even considering this as a possibility. The Zerg are evil, all they want is our destruction, it's just their nature. That's what we thought we knew. Now everything's been turned on its head, again. The Zerg may be slaves, and Sarah might be the only person to free them, and stop them from killing all of us. Now, if I knew it was true, it should be an easy choice. Sacrifice Sarah to save the sector."

"But even if we were sure, it isn't an easy choice for you, and it never would be. That is what separates you from Mengsk." Nova said firmly. "Mengsk is focused only on what would benefit him. Power and survival is all he cares about. You're not like that. You can't hide that from me. You always took the time to get to know people, appreciate them for who they are, rather than treat them as meat for the grinder. You're going about this the right way, and the fact that you aren't sure about it, and you're planning to let Sarah decide, proves that point. That's not betrayal, that's allowing people to make their own decisions, not forcing the decision on them."

I snorted. "Guess we'll see if Sarah and Jim agree with you on that when we talk to them." I looked at her and gave her a small smile. "When did you become so wise?"

"Must have been from hanging around you lot for so long." She stood up. "Come on, there's no real point in continuing to go over this. We'll be back tomorrow, and we'll just have to do what we're good at."

"What, make it up as we go along?"

She chuckled. "It's worked for us so far. Besides, Sarah and Jim understood about how you knew me and everything else that you've been keeping in the dark. This might be a bit bigger, but like you said, they're family. It will take more than this to break that bond."

"I just hope you're right."

I hadn't realised how much I had come to truly appreciate and rely on Nova until then. While I had guessed that she had originally intended to make a move before our discussion, I was sure that she had also realised that it wasn't likely to be the best idea. The thought of what lay ahead of us was still weighing on me, although she had certainly lightened the load somewhat. Still, sleep was difficult to find, and even any 'distractions' that she might have had in mind weren't going to help things. As much as I liked her, and even I was starting to admit that I was falling for her, there were simply some times for acting on those feelings and times for not.

In the end, I rose early and wandered back to the tac room. I wasn't expecting to find anything in what we had that might prove the Queen's story one way or another, but I did at least want to try and get the facts sorted out in my head, not least working out what I could and couldn't safely reveal.

Of course, when Nova found me two hours later, I was bent over the console, running a file for the twentieth time and not really paying any attention to its contents. Not exactly the sort of thing that boded well for today. She sighed.

"Is that really helping any?"

I shook my head. "Not one bit, but I need to do something. I couldn't sleep, so I may as well try and do something useful."

"And failing dramatically." She reached over and shut down the console. "There's no point in going over things again. I sound like a scratched record, saying that."

I managed a brief chuckle. "Yeah, I know. Once we actually get there and talk to them, then I might have a chance to settle down. But not until then, I think."

Jess suddenly spoke up. "Commander, we will be arriving at the fleet's current position in 10 minutes."

I nodded. "Thanks Jess. Can you please let Sarah and Jim know that I want to talk to them here as soon as we arrive?"

"Of course, Commander."

I straightened. "Let's get this over with."

As the  _ Liberator _ came out of warp, I watched the fleet carefully. From the look of things, Jim was drilling the fleet in some rapid-assault tactics, doing fast jumps and targeting runs against a group of nearby asteroids. I smiled; it was exactly the sort of tactics that Jim excelled at. As they spotted us, I could see the fleet moving back into formation.

"We have an incoming transmission from the  _ Hyperion _ ." Jess reported.

"Put it up."

Sarah's face appeared on-screen. "Sorry Jason, Jim's still busy yelling at people right now. Good to see you back."

I managed a smile. "Good to be back. Practising some different tactics?"

"Yeah, only it hasn't gone quite as well as we would like. Still, have to start somewhere."

"Definitely. When Jim's finished, I'd like both of you to come across, and bring a doctor with you. We need to talk."

Sarah's eyes narrowed. "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like where this is going?"

"Because your instincts are as good as ever. And make sure your doctor brings that infestation detection gear."

"That really doesn't sound good."

"Tell me about it. I don't think it's necessary, but I would rather be certain one way or the other."

"Got it. We'll be over in 10 minutes." She quickly signed off.

I turned to look at Nova. "Not too late to make yourself scarce. Just run like hell."

She grinned. "Not this time."

We worked quietly until Jess announced that Jim and Sarah had arrived. It didn't take them long to reach us. Neither looked happy. Behind them came the  _ Hyperion's _ doctor. I held up a hand before either of them could speak, then turned to the doctor.

"You brought the equipment, I assume?"

"Yes sir." He replied, holding up the scanner.

"Good. Scan both Nova and I please."

"What?" Jim spluttered. "Are you serious?"

"Perfectly. As I told Sarah, I'd rather be safe than sorry."

Nova had worked out my reasoning very quickly and so neither of us made any complaints as we were both scanned. I held my breath as the doctor examined the results. Finally he reached a conclusion.

"You're both clean."

Jim, Sarah and Nova let out a sigh of relief, while I nodded slightly. "Do it again, just to be sure."

The doctor raised an eyebrow and looked about to complain when I glared at him, my expression making it very clear I was in no mood to be argued with. Meekly he complied, again coming to the same answer. This time I allowed myself to be relieved.

"Thanks. Sorry to make you do it twice, but I needed to be sure."

"I can understand that, sir. Do you need me anymore?"

"No, thank you. I'll get someone to run you back to the  _ Hyperion _ ."

He nodded and showed himself out. Sarah spun on me. "You better have a damn good reason for scaring the hell out of us like that."

"What the hell is going on?" Jim added. "Why would you even be considering that you might be infested?"

I sat down heavily. "I didn't ever think it was likely, but given what I'm about to tell you, I thought it was best."

"Jason, you're starting to scare me." Sarah said, sitting down herself."

"Unfortunately, there's a very good reason for that." I waited for Jim and Nova to sit down. Finally, I looked at Sarah.

"We may well have got everything we thought about the Zerg wrong." I began.

Sarah's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious."

"That's insane." Jim replied, his eyes wide. "How is that even possible?"

"The Zerg may be under the control of another force. I can't be sure yet, but it's a possibility."

"Even if that's true, what exactly can we do about it?" Jim asked.

Sarah leant back, her eyes going wide. "If it's true, and something else is controlling the Zerg, then they're trying to wipe us out. Are they the ones that are after me?"

I shook my head slowly. "From what I can gather, this force created a creature called the Overmind to control the Zerg. But the Overmind is trying to break its own bonds, and it came up with a way to do it."

"By infesting me?"

I nodded slowly. "Like I said, I can't be sure yet, and I'm certainly not taking that story as gospel, but if it's right, then..."

Sarah collapsed upon herself. "Then the only way to save the sector is for me to be infested."

I closed my eyes. She knew now. All I could do was brace for the reaction from her and Jim.


	27. Making a Mistake

Jim, to no one's surprise, was the first to vent his fury. "How the hell can you even be considering this idea?"

I looked at him. "I'm about as happy about it as you are. I sure as hell don't want it to be true. But I can't take the risk of discounting it completely either."

"It was a Zerg that told you this, wasn't it?" Sarah said quietly.

I closed my eyes again and nodded. "That's why I made sure Nova and I got checked for infestation, here and now."

"You met with a Zerg?" Jim roared. "Why? Were you looking to get yourself killed?"

"Far from it, Jim. For a start, I didn't know who or what it was until I met it. I knew it was a risk and the possibility of it being a Zerg was fairly high up. But even if it was, I couldn't ignore it."

"You suspected it was a Zerg, you knew it had been messing with your mind, and you went anyway?" Jim advanced on me and I wouldn't have been surprised if he decided to take a swing at me. "What the hell could have been so compelling that you would take such an insane risk? Never mind the fact that you trusted someone that had already proven they were capable of manipulating you. What could have made you take leave of your senses like that?"

Finally, I snapped. Standing up and glaring at Jim, I spat back, "The fact that this Zerg saved us in the first place."

That brought up Jim short. Sarah was looking very confused. "What do you mean?"

I sighed and sat back down. "Sarah, you remember I told you that my head was something of a mess after we left Tarsonis?"

She nodded. "I wondered about that, but I figured you'd talk when you were ready."

"Yeah, well it started the night before New Gettysburg."

Jim's eyes narrowed. "I remember you were a little out of sorts that day, but I assumed that you were still pissed off about what Duke and Mengsk pulled."

"I was, but that night, I had a dream, vision if you like, of what would have happened that day. It sounds crazy I know, but it's true. I was wary, but without that, I don't think we would have got down to New Gettysburg in time. It was that Zerg that gave me that vision. Without it, I doubt that any of us would be here. Sarah would have been taken by the Zerg, Nova would have been captured by the Dominion, and Tassadar and the Protoss would have been lucky to make it off Tarsonis. Almost all of those things would have suited the Zerg just fine. But this one made sure that didn't happen. So yes, I took it seriously enough to take the risk of finding them."

Jim was finally starting to cool down a little. "That does sound fairly unbelievable, but then crazier things have happened."

"For sure, and I wasn't the only one that got called there."

"What?" Sarah looked stunned.

"Apparently the Protoss have different factions as well, the High Templar, which the Protoss that we know belong to, and the Dark Templar, which were driven out by them centuries ago. We found one of the Dark Templar while we were trying to track down this other figure. He claimed to have been called as well. He came back with us, you can talk to him later. Once Tassadar and Selendis calmed down a bit, we all started working together to find the one who called us. We were more than a little surprised when we found them."

"I can imagine. Was New Gettysburg the only time that this Zerg contacted you?"

I shook my head. "I've had a couple of dreams since then, but it was mainly while I was out after New Folsom that it contacted me."

"So that's why I couldn't read your thoughts."

I nodded, not wanting to elaborate on that count.

"So what happens now?" Jim asked.

I grimaced. "I couldn't be sure of what was right or wrong on this before we talked, and I'm even less sure now. It would be a hell of a lot easier to make a decision if I could be sure of everything. But as for right now? Nothing is going to change."

I looked Sarah in the eye. "We've been to hell and back together. If you think that I'm going to simply push that aside because of this, you've got another thing coming."

"I never was worried about that." Sarah replied coolly.

I blinked, more than a little surprised at that. Sarah smiled softly.

"After what you've risked for Jim and I? You wouldn't simply change everything just because of something you couldn't even confirm. Whether or not it's true, we don't have to decide right now, and it  _ will _ be we. I know that you'll say it's my choice, but I can't make this choice without all of you, and nor should I. It affects us all, either way."

I sighed and nodded. "I didn't expect you to see it like that, but you're right. There's no need to decide right now, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let anyone try to force a decision."

"You really were worried about how this would go, weren't you?"

"I didn't necessarily expect to walk out of here without one of you doing some serious damage."

She laughed. "I know you haven't told us everything, either."

I froze, careful to keep my mind very empty. "That is true."

"Good. If you're keeping it from us, then it's likely for a damn good reason, and if I do end up being infested, the less I know about what you're up to, the better,"

Jim frowned. "I'm not going to say I like this or everything else you've been up to, but I guess I can see why you did what you did. Time will tell what was right."

Nova smiled.  _ "Told you you didn't have to worry." _

_ "Yeah, yeah," _ I snarked back.  _ "You were right, as usual. Still didn't make it any easier." _

Glad to have finally finished with that topic, I moved on. "So, what were you up to with that little set of manoeuvres you were doing when we got back?"

After Jim and Sarah finished describing what they had been up to, we agreed to focus on the immediate needs, rather than keep looking for trouble where we couldn't be sure it existed yet. In the meantime, Jess had detected a nearby world with a fair amount of usable resources, so I decided to call back Roland and Ryan, since they had done their fair share, while we moved to gather what resources we could. Surprisingly, it was something of a garden world, so it would be a half-enjoyable task, if somewhat boring and mindless. Tassadar and his forces had been on the move for a while as well, so he decided to accompany us and gather some supplies of their own.

Once we were planet-side, and we'd had a chance to set up the bases, I took the opportunity to have a walk around. I had insisted that everyone remain in battle-gear when outside of the barracks or ships, as I had no interest in being taken by surprise. Walking towards the  _ Hyperion _ , I smiled as I saw Matt and Tychus come over. Matt looked a little uneasy around Tychus, although he cheered up as he spotted us. We all met up on the top of a small hill just behind the command centre.

"Welcome back, sir. Everything work out?" Matt asked.

"Well enough, we should be able to give the  _ Hyperion _ a good sweep soon, and that's something I want to get done sooner rather than later."

"Glad to hear it. We've done what searches we can do quietly, but we really need to shut her down for a day or so and give her a good going over."

"We'll get it done, Matt." I turned towards Tychus - who, as I had noticed, was eyeing Nova with interest. Doing my best to hide my amusement, I asked him, "How's it feel, being out and about again?"

"Bein' free, ya mean? Surroundings are a damn sight nicer than what you see on ice, that's for damn sure." He glanced at Nova again, although I had noticed he was careful not to look at Sarah. Obviously, there was something of a story there. "Still, there's too much goin' on for my liking. I thought the captain here was exaggerating about the state of affairs, and I'm real sorry to find out that he ain't."

I raised an eyebrow at Matt. He shrugged. "I've been filling him in on what happened with Mengsk and everything else. Thought if he was going to hang around for a while, he should at least know what he was getting himself into."

"Wait, you guys knew what you were getting yourself into?" Nova asked. "How come we didn't get that memo?"

"I'm lucky if I know what I'm going to have to shoot first." Sarah grinned. Tychus flinched slightly. Evidently the story was more interesting than I thought.

"So, you regret hanging around?" I asked Tychus.

"Not a chance. Much as I'd like to take some pretty thing and hide away for a while, way I see it, we're all dead unless we stay together. If that's the case, then I'm better off with Jimmy. We always did work together well, and with you and the rest of this group, and even Butler, we might have a shot at surviving this mess long enough so that we can get a pay-day. Still don't mean I can't find some tasty piece along the way." Again he glanced at Nova.

_ "Jason, I thought that some of the guys I knew as a kid had their minds in the gutter. Tychus makes them look like gentlemen."  _ Nova complained mentally.

_ "If he gets too forward, then bring him into line. I'd guess that Sarah's already had to do something along those lines, even after I warned him." _

_ "Oh? I might have to ask her. I imagine it was entertaining." _

I concentrated back on Tychus. "Just remember what I said before, OK? As for a pay-day, right now just surviving is going to be enough of a reward."

"I hear that. Jimmy tells me you think you're a decent shot."

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm good enough, why?"

"Care to put your money where your mouth is?"

I started to smile. "What do you have in mind?"

He gestured over towards a nearby hill. "Had a look at that spot on the way down. Overlooks a nice little valley, with some good sight lines. Just perfect for some shooting fun."

"I thought your style was more gunning and running."

"Hey, just because I might like that sort of carnage don't mean I can't shoot straight."

I considered. It had been a while since I'd done any kind of precise shooting, and it might help take my mind off things.

"I almost feel sorry, thinking about how much money I'm going to be taking off you. Didn't Jim ever tell you not to shoot against me?"

"We'll see, old timer." Tychus grinned.

Half an hour later, the pair of us were set up, each with our chosen rifles. Tychus had set aside his usual chain-gun for what looked like a modified C14 Gauss rifle, complete with scope. I didn't expect him to be that accurate with it, but time would tell. As for me, my M12 was finally getting some use after so long. I had still been taking it with me on missions, but I hadn't had a reason to use it since before Tarsonis.

"All right, everyone. I've set up the first target 200 metres away. I'm going to set up some more down the track, at 100 metre intervals." Matt reported in. More of a star-ship specialist than a ground fighter, he'd chosen not to take part in the little competition, instead setting up holographic targets at various points along the valley. After I had accepted Tychus's challenge, Jim had eventually decided to have a shot, though he didn't like his own chances, while both Sarah and Nova had also decided to put their skills to the test. They were using their respective favoured rifles - in Jim's case, his own M12 while both women were using their C20A's.

Lastly, both Selendis and Zeratul had also decided to take part. To say I was stunned by that was an understatement. Most of the Protoss I had encountered preferred melee or other close-range fighting, using their psionics for long-range work. While both Protoss also adhered to this, I was surprised to discover that they had also made some study of long range combat, and both had modified phase-disruptor weapons designed for sniping. In any case, this was likely to prove to be an interesting competition. Against Tychus, I had been fairly confident of victory. But Jim was almost as good as I was, while Sarah was closer still, if she didn't surpass me. Nova I hadn't seen firing at long range all that much, but I remembered how good she was at New Folsom, and I knew not to take her lightly. The two Protoss were obviously very much an unknown, but I knew they wouldn't have considered joining this unless they were pretty damn good themselves.

"Thanks, Matt. Let us know when you're clear." I replied. The last thing I wanted was for him to be anywhere near the targets once we started. Rather than set up an individual target for each of us, Matt had set a single target, that could record where the round passed through and give us real time feedback. It did mean we had to shoot one at a time, but that was no big deal. Since Tychus had come up with the idea, he went first. I knew that he had to be decent, but didn't expect him to be much of a sharpshooter, so it was something of a shock when he nailed the very centre of the target. After Tychus, Jim, Sarah, Nova, Selendis and Zeratul all had their own shots, each of them as good as Tychus. It seemed like I had a major challenge on my hands.

When I had first begun to train with rifles as a kid, I had to escape from the majority of my family to do it, and 'borrow' an old and outdated C5 rifle, very much inferior to the modern C10 and C20 which had replaced it. It didn't have anywhere near the damage the modern rifles could deliver, although its range was just as far, and the recoil was much harder to deal with. That particular rifle was also slightly faulty, in that once you fired, it took over a minute to reload. As a result, I was used to taking the time I needed to line the shot up properly, judging what could affect it and making very sure that I didn't miss. Even with the far more advanced rifles that I now used, I made sure to take the time to get it right. Tychus, however, wasn't that patient.

"Hurry up and take the damn shot already." He complained.

"Can't rush an expert." I replied, looking intently through the scope of my own weapon. I was doing some slight adjustments, and was very glad for the bi-pod.

"Expert? Damn, in a battle you'd be dead by now, so you can't have done this much."

I turned to him, leaving the gun as it was. "Is that right?" Without looking down the scope again, I pulled the trigger. Even at this distance, I heard the ping as the round ricocheted off a rock. Tychus had evidently managed to spot where it had landed.

"After all that, you missed?" He said, stunned. "Damn nice for you to hand over your money like that."

I could feel the looks from the others, just as surprised. "Really, Jason? No way could you miss that." Sarah said.

Nodding towards the target display, I replied, "I didn't."

Everyone turned towards the display and utter silence came over the group. Not only had I nailed the shot perfectly, but I'd done it essentially blind and with a ricochet. Considering that the Penetrator round had to just brush against a target to shatter it, to be able to get the round to bounce was a serious trick, a fact that was not lost on the others.

Nova found her voice first. "You were aiming for a  _ trick shot _ ?"

"No-one ever said I had to shoot directly at the target." I grinned. "So Tychus, you still want to do this?"

He glared at me and adjusted his rifle. "If that's the way you're gonna play, then I'm going to enjoy beating you."

I smiled and pointed out to the next target. "Your shot then."

After that, I wasn't crazy enough to try any more stunts, focussing on simply hitting the target precisely. All of us went round for round up to the 1,300-metre mark, where Jim finally missed the bullseye, if only by an inch. He chose to simply watch and wait, rather than continue on. As the distance continued to increase, the strain was beginning to show on a few people. Nova wasn't used to shooting over such long distances, although she was still landing the shots, and Tychus was grumbling more than usual. Both Selendis and Zeratul however were still landing the shots seemingly effortlessly, and Sarah was still as good as ever. Finally, Nova missed the bullseye at the 1,600-metre mark, still a damn fine show considering how little experience she had. Zeratul lasted another couple of rounds, before he too missed slightly. At the 2,000-metre mark, I was still quite surprised that Tychus was in the game, especially considering he'd been in cryo for the last few years.

In the end, it was Sarah who dropped out next, although we were at the 2,800-metre mark before that happened. This was becoming more of a challenge than I had expected, especially from Tychus. Down to three and at this distance, I had long expected him to have slipped. My estimation of his skills went up another couple of notches. Having said that, I was just as surprised that Selendis was still in the match. It wasn't until 3,300 metres that Tychus finally slipped, and at the same distance, Selendis too missed her mark. Still, I had to land my own.

_ "Moment of truth huh? You're awfully good with that, but are you as good with everything else?"  _ Nova said telepathically.

Trust her to start distracting me at this point.

_ "You would have to ask that now, wouldn't you?"  _ I replied.

_ "Why, is it distracting?" _ She teased.

_ "You know it is, which is why you're having your fun." _

_ "Well, it shouldn't be. If I was intent on distracting you, I'd be thinking about something rather different."  _ At that point, several images flooded my mind that made it damn near impossible to concentrate.

_ "I'd tell you to stop that, but I know you won't. But you will be dealing with the consequences later." _

_ "I look forward to it." _

I rolled my eyes.  _ "Of course you are."  _ At that instant, I took my own shot, but I knew as soon as it left, it wasn't perfect. By this time, Matt was back and watching the screen. He grimaced.

"Sorry sir. It's not bad, but it's not the bullseye."

I nodded, unsurprised at that. Turning to Tychus and Selendis, I offered, "A tie, then?"

Selendis nodded.  _ "I think that would be best." _

"Works for me." Tychus replied. I shook my head in disbelief.

"For a man that's been on ice for a fair while and without much recent combat time, that was scary. I'd hate to see you at your prime. And Selendis, where the hell did you learn to shoot like that? I didn't think sniping was the Protoss's style."

She chuckled.  _ "One of my old teachers believed in some rather unconventional tactics. He decided to try and perfect some skills in sniping and taught us how to emulate that style. But he is good enough to best me." _

"Hopefully I can meet him. I think that could be an interesting match."

_ "Maybe you will. He is not the greatest supporter of the Ruling Conclave, and has given us some support during this campaign. It was him that arranged for us to get the Arbiters, without the Conclave knowing." _

"Then we owe him a great deal. Those have made one hell of a difference." I grinned, looking at everyone. "Well, that was certainly an interesting challenge."

Jim smiled. "You're slipping too. Normally you'd be much better than that."

I shrugged. "Out of practice. I might have to fix that, since we're here for a while."

Over the course of the next two weeks, we were actually able to relax slightly. While we were still very much aware of the situation with the Zerg and the fact that we were still in big trouble if we couldn't work out how to deal with them, it was good to be able to concentrate on other issues that were more easily solved. Rotating everyone's duties, and providing some opportunities for some training exercises, particularly between Terran and Protoss forces, was allowing everyone to unwind somewhat, without being unproductive.

For my part, since I didn't need to micromanage the whole operation, I took the opportunity to do some training of my own. Inactivity and the time I had spent laid up after New Folsom had taken its toll on my combat edge; something I knew I was going to need, and likely sooner rather than later. In addition to doing a lot of long-range shooting, I was joining several squads in their shooting exercises, enjoying the chance to watch them go through their paces. Fairly happy with their performance, and comfortable that I hadn't lost enough of my skill in regular combat to be an issue, I wandered over to where Sarah and Nova were doing some close-quarters training.

I watched for a moment, as the pair duelled with their combat blades, every so often stopping for Sarah to give Nova some more instruction. I smiled, pleased with how the two women had become close friends, as well as very deadly fighters. They'd come a long way from their first meeting.

Sarah chuckled as she turned to face me. "You up for some sparring too, Jason?"

I looked at her in disbelief. "You know I'm nowhere near a match for either of you in close combat."

"Then it's time to change that." She took a ready pose, combat blades ready and waiting. I sighed, knowing I wasn't going to get out of this, although I did privately admit that this was one area I really needed to improve in. After all, that mystery Ghost was still out there, and the next time we met, I wanted to return the favour. Drawing my sword, I stood ready. Her combat blades were smaller, but faster than my sword, so I expected to have to play defensively. As Nova looked on with interest, Sarah circled like a cat, looking for an opportunity. I'd sparred with Sarah before a couple of times, as well as seeing her in action, so I had a reasonable grasp of her style. But knowing what she would likely do and stopping it were two very different things.

Suddenly she raced in, one blade high and one low, knowing I couldn't parry both of them. Her speed was crazy, and just avoiding her was hard. I barely danced sideways in time, keeping my blade ready to counter her next attack. She moved quickly, raining blow after blow down on me. As much as the armour slowed me down, I was very glad for the protection it provided, as I was forced to push the blade away with my hand, rather than parrying all of her strikes. I knew that if I went on the attack, I would tire far quicker than she would, so I had to be more efficient. Focussing on simply deflecting or evading her blows, I stayed on the move, knowing that against her, standing still was suicide.

If there was one real advantage that I had, it was the fact that I knew her tactics, and how she fought. She might be able to read my mind, but I could read her moves, putting us on a more even footing. Finally she left an opening, barely enough for a counter-strike. Rather than use my sword, I opted for a less direct approach. As she swung, obviously expecting me to exploit the gap, I dropped to one knee, letting the blade swing over me. As her other weapon came up, I realised she had left the gap for me to exploit, counting on me to see and use it. Apparently ignoring it distracted her, leaving a true gap. Driving forward off the ground, I was able to grab one hand, preventing her from using that blade, and binding up the other with my sword, leaving her defenceless as I forced her back and off her feet.

Against another opponent, it might have worked, but even distracted, she was too good, and flung me off with a kick, closing on me before I could regain my footing. In the next instant, her blade was at my throat.

"That was a nice trick." Sarah commented, clearly surprised.

"Not good enough, though." I replied dryly, although I was pleasantly surprised that I had managed to come so close.

She laughed, helping me back to my feet. "Better than most people. I've sparred against some of the best, both Protoss and Terran, and no one else that has been limited by that heavy armour has ever come close to even being able to keep up, let alone almost win. There's only been a few Terrans that could ever come close to beating me, and all of them were Ghosts. Although Nova is getting close, she's not there yet."

I smiled. "I'm not surprised. Experience counts for as much as skill and power, and you have all three."

"Maybe we should take her on together." Nova grinned.

That was an interesting idea and I was about to agree when my attention was suddenly caught by other events. Specifically, the Nydus Canal that erupted from the ground behind Sarah.

"Zerg!" I yelled, drawing and bringing my guns up, suddenly very glad to have insisted on everyone being in battle-dress. Letting rip, I worked to try and bring the monster down before it could unload its cargo. Sarah and Nova spun around, each sending a psionic blast down the creature's throat. All of us could hear the shrieks of the Zerg barrelling towards us. From behind us, a grenade was tossed past, landing inside the gaping opening. That final detonation was enough to kill the canal, just before it could unload the Zerg. Turning around, I saw Jim and Tychus standing there, ready for action. Over the dying roars of the Nydus Canal, I could hear others beginning to discharge their own cargo, the screeches of the Zerg and the alarms of the base calling everyone to action. Swiftly I keyed my comm.

"Jess, what's the story?"

"Nydus Canals have emerged around the primary command area. Captain Horner has ordered additional forces to intercept them."

"We're on our way there. Tell him to expect an external attack, too. The Zerg won't rely completely on Nydus Canals, they'll have to send the troops conventionally too."

As I spoke, the 5 of us raced towards the command centre, Jim and I drawing our M12's. As we rounded the bend, we saw half a dozen more Canals in position and leaking Zerglings.

"Jim, take left. I'll take the right."

Understanding what I meant, Jim swiftly lined up a shot on the Nydus Canals to the left, both Sarah and Tychus covering him. Nova and I dived for some cover behind a barracks, but it also gave me a better line through my set of Nydus Canals. Still, it was going to take two shots to finish all of them, and I was very glad that I'd modified the rifle to have a pump action, giving me a better firing rate. Crouching, Jim and I fired at the same time, killing nearly all of the Nydus Canals, as well as many of the Zerglings. Sighting in on the remaining pair, I worked the action and fired again, finishing them off. Tychus was mopping up the remaining Zerglings, along with the marines that had been holding the line against them. As the last of the Zerg fell, I moved over towards them, keying up Matt on the comm.

"What's the situation, Matt?"

"We've dealt with the Nydus Canals, but there's a wave of Zerg coming at us from the south. Our forces are holding them for now, but we're going to be hard pressed to hold them back if they attack elsewhere."

"All right, start packing everything up. I think we're done here, regardless of how much we've managed to get. What about the air? Any Zerg forces there?"

"Not so- wait. We're picking up a group of leviathans from the far side of the planet. They're staying low, but converging on your position. They aren't launching any aerial units though."

I nodded. "Can we be out of here in time?"

"Just, although those ground forces are going to be a problem. We're on our way, but there's still a lot of the ships planet-side. We're trying to get as many in the air as we can."

"Do what you can, Matt. We'll hold off the Zerg."

Around us, the base swiftly began to pack up, and Protoss forces are starting to support us, both from the ground and the air. Tassadar himself quickly raced up, Zeratul and Selendis beside him.

"Trust the Zerg to ruin a damn fine day." Tychus grumbled.

"Tell me about it." I replied, turning to the Protoss. "Matt says we've got a group of leviathans coming for us, and we're going to be cutting it close to get out in time."

Tassadar nodded.  _ "Our observers just picked them up, they seem to be better at hiding than we thought. We can hold the line better, if your forces need to extract." _

I shook my head. "I appreciate the offer, Tassadar, but it's still going to take us a while to get everything in the air, and more people aren't going to help with that. We're of more use holding the Zerg back right now, and together we have a better chance of driving them back long enough to leave."

As we spoke, we jogged towards the perimeter, where we could hear the sounds of carnage. Without another word, we all dived into the battle.

As was usual for combat on this scale, it was something of a blur. I was constantly switching between blade and gun, holding the line against the Zerg. Time and again they pushed our lines, and time and again we fought desperately to force them back. By the time I was able to take a breather, the piles of dead were starting to get too high for the marines in the bunkers to see over them.

"Matt, any enemy air forces around?" I had been holding my air support back, knowing we'd need them against the Zerg air power, especially the leviathans.

"Negative, sir."

I was about to order some of our fighters into the air when the meaning of that statement suddenly registered.

The Zerg had launched a surprise attack with Nydus Canals, then returned to their usual tactic of throwing bodies at our lines. I assumed that they were again after Sarah, and the fact that one of the canals had surfaced so close tended to confirm that. They had leviathans available, and with this number of forces, they had to have more than a few overlords around too.

_ So where the hell were their aerial units? _

Turning around, I scanned the skies myself, but saw nothing that might indicate how the Zerg were planning to use any air support they had. But looking back at the trees in front of us, I suddenly spotted something that froze my blood.

A group of overlords and scourge were using the trees as cover and heading straight for us. Behind them, another leviathan was beginning to rise and come for us.

As I opened my mouth to call a warning, several things happened at once.

Others spotted the incoming threat of the overlords and began to panic.

Matt started screaming in my ear.

A group of infested Terrans began to charge the base.

It was pure and absolute chaos. Exactly as the Zerg had planned, I suddenly realised. With almost everyone concentrating on the immediate threat, I was one of the few to see the leviathan launch a set of small tentacles in my direction. Almost  _ exactly _ in my direction, I realised, and turned in horror to find Sarah no more than a couple of metres from me, focussing on sniping the infested Terrans. Before I could do anything, the appendages struck, wrapping themselves around her and forcing her to drop her weapons. As quick as they had launched, they began to pull back, with her helpless in their grasp.

At that point, time slowed for me, just as it had in New Folsom. I had to make the choice.

Did I trust the Queen of Blades, who claimed that Sarah had to be infested to save the sector? Or did I try to stop Sarah from being infested, even if that meant killing her? I didn't have more than a few seconds to decide. In the end, it was no real choice at all.

I drew the M12, scaling its power back and loading a specific round into it. I didn't like the delay, but there wasn't an option. As I lined up my shot, caring nothing for the battle raging around me, I saw Sarah looking at me, fear plain in her eyes, but also acceptance. She had guessed what I was about to do.

_ "Do it." _ She whispered in my mind.

_ "I'm sorry I couldn't do more."  _ I sent back.

Firing, I could see her lurch as the round struck her shoulder. Then she was pulled into the leviathan and I saw no more. I suddenly became aware of the Zerg retreating and the leviathan turning for space. With their prize secure, they had no more need to stay. At that moment, I felt a combination of rage, that I had allowed myself to be outplayed by the Zerg, and despair that I had failed Sarah, and everyone else.

Around me, the others began to gather, none of them without injury. Jim looked around.

"Where's Sarah?"

He spun on me. "Where is she!"

At that point, looking at the living ship that had consumed her, I couldn't find it in myself to answer him.


	28. The Chase

The combination of rage and terror on Jim's face was not something I was going to forget any time soon. He didn't need me to confirm it, he knew what had happened. Quietly, I opened my comm.

"How bad is it, Matt, Tassadar?"

"We lost a couple of thousand people, sir. About double that are wounded. We're still working on final numbers, though."

Tassadar said grimly, "We have not suffered as many losses, but around half of that number have re-joined the Khala, with a similar number injured by the Zerg."

I closed my eyes. Around ten thousand people dead or wounded, because I didn't expect the Zerg to attack, and certainly not in the way they did. The irony was that number would likely have been much higher if Sarah hadn't been taken. It was the first time I had ever really tasted the bitterness of defeat, and it was not something I relished.

"How long until we can be ready to leave?" I asked.

Matt hesitated. "An hour, if we're lucky. The Zerg did some serious damage, and that doesn't include the time it would take to retrieve the fallen. Far too long for us to be able to pursue the Zerg, if that's what you're thinking, sir."

I shook my head. "I wasn't even considering the possibility."

Jim's head snapped around towards me, utter fury apparent. Ignoring him, I continued.

"Matt, I want a small team left here, to gather up our fallen and retrieve them. We don't have the time to give them the honours they deserve right now, but we will do that when we can. I want everyone else to be in space within the hour."

"Got it, sir." Matt signed off. I turned to Jim.

"Jim, I want you to get in touch with the other battle-groups. Whatever it is they're up to, I want them to wrap it up and be ready to move in 3 hours."

Without giving him a chance to respond, I turned to Tassadar. "Is that going to be enough time for you?"

He nodded.  _ "We'll be ready." _

"Good." Crouching, I picked up Sarah's fallen weapons, her trusty C20 and the combat blades that she was so lethal with. Standing once more, I took one more look at the sky. "Jim, Selendis, Zeratul. I'd like you on the  _ Liberator _ if possible. We've got a lot of work to do. Let's get to it."

Turning around, I began heading back to the  _ Liberator _ . Footsteps behind me told me that Jim, Nova and the two Protoss were right behind me.

"We're just going to abandon her?" Jim snarled; fury evident in every sound he made. I spun around to face him.

"What do you want me to do?" I glared back at him. "You heard Matt; it will be at least an hour before we could even think about going after Sarah. Long before then, the Zerg will be in warp, where we can't do a damn thing about them. That's if we have enough forces here to face them, and that's by no means certain. I don't like this any more than you, Jim, but I can't change the past. Yes, we shouldn't have stayed so long here; we should have kept more ships and people in the air, to guard against attack. That's my mistake, and one that a lot of people, including Sarah, have paid the price for. But with what we have right now, there's no way to get to her before the Zerg escape."

Turning on my heel and walking into the airlock, I looked at Jim as he slowly walked in behind me. He knew the truth of my words, but I knew that it didn't lessen the pain he felt. As the airlock opened, I led the group to the tac room, before turning to face Jim once more.

"Of course, if rescuing her is your objective, then that is still on the cards."

Jim's face suddenly flared with hope. "How?"

"Jess, is the implant secure?"

"Yes, Commander. Captain Kerrigan's life signs are still strong, and there is no trace of Zerg mutagens within her system. Her only injury appears to be the wound in her shoulder from the implant's insertion."

I grimaced. "Not exactly the most ideal method, but between a bullet wound and us having no certainty on her location, I think I know what she'd rather choose. Where's she going?"

"Her current course puts her on a direct route to the Char system." As Jess spoke, a diagram of the system itself came up. "At her current speed, she will reach the system in 52 hours."

I nodded. Jim spoke quickly. "You  _ shot _ her with an implant?"

"Again, not too many choices by then, Jim. Without that implant, we'd be almost guessing in the dark."

I sat down, tallying up what we knew, grateful that at least some of what I had deduced was correct.

"So, we know that she's alive, essentially unharmed, on her way to Char and they haven't started to infest her. That's good news for us."

"Good news?" Jim asked, stunned.

"Yeah. Any other person or infestation, they probably would have started, but given the amount of trouble they've gone to in order to take her unharmed, I imagine they have something special planned, and I doubt they can do it just anywhere. They obviously decided it was too risky to begin infesting her the way they want on the leviathan, so they're taking her somewhere secure. If Char is their stronghold, then it makes sense to go there. Ultimately, that's our best chance."

"Our best chance?" Selendis asked.

I nodded grimly. "It's going to be downright ugly, but if there's anywhere that we can get her back, it's when she gets transferred from the leviathan to the planet. They won't be expecting an attack, and with any luck, they won't have that many flyers around. We strike hard and fast; we might have a shot at this."

"And how exactly are we-" Jim paused as he worked it out. "You got Tassadar to place Arbiters there beforehand."

"I did. I didn't want to plan on this, and I definitely didn't want this to happen. But I thought it made sense to have a contingency plan ready, in case."

He was silent for a moment. "Why are you doing this?"

I blinked. "Why on earth wouldn't I? You and Sarah are family to me and I look after family. Whether or not Sarah needs to be infested, I definitely won't let the Zerg make the choice for her."

He smiled. "Thank you. I admit, I was worried about that for a while. It's good to see you haven't changed on that count."

"Not a chance. Anyway, let's get the ball rolling. We've got a lot to do in order to even have a crack at this."

Matt's estimate proved to be right on the money. Just under an hour after the Zerg retreated, we were back in space, with our forces that weren't gathering the dead forming up around us. As soon as we were clear of the planet, I ordered a jump to the edge of the system, before getting Tassadar to recall us to Char. Since we were ready, it put less strain on the Arbiters to space out the arrival of all our forces, allowing them time to recharge. As we arrived in the system, I saw that Tassadar had also positioned his Arbiters behind an outlying gas giant, using its bulk to hide our energy signatures from the Zerg. Beside us, the fleet that we had was moving into position. Tassadar's carrier was already moving close to us, as was the  _ Hyperion _ . I knew that we would have to discuss our plans, but we needed to be fast.

Over the next few hours, the remainder of our force assembled, save for the battle-group guarding  _ Terra Firma _ , although Butler had sent a number of ships to support us, some containing some of their newest prototypes that might help turn the battle. As soon as the entire force was gathered, I gave orders for all captains to convene on the  _ Hyperion _ , with Tassadar giving the same instruction to his own commanders. Given the storm we were about to walk into, it was only far to give them all the information I could. At length, they were all assembled in the main briefing area. I had once conducted and attended several briefings here, but never had I seen one on this scale. For a moment, I felt pride in the fact that this group had seen fit to follow the lead that Jim, Sarah, Tassadar and myself had given them. All I could hope for was that enough would agree that what I had planned was necessary. I faced the group and began.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I'm not going to mess around. 4 hours ago, the Zerg raided our mining encampment. We're still doing a final count of our losses but we're looking at around 10,000 terrans and Protoss either dead or wounded. By any stretch, that is a major blow to us, and I mourn the loss of some many good people. However, the situation is far worse."

I paused, allowing everyone to take in the information.

"Captain Sarah Kerrigan was captured during the assault, and we were unable to even attempt to rescue her before the Zerg withdrew."

All around the room, stunned and uneasy whispers started up. Everyone here was aware of the Zerg's interest in Sarah, and none of them were very happy about them having achieved their goals.

"Before I continue, I will inform you that new intelligence indicates that the Zerg are intending to infest her, with the possibility of her becoming a future leader of the swarm. It is also possible that the Zerg could be under an outside influence's control, using them as an attack force to destroy everything else in the sector, or at least soften us up for another assault. Our intelligence suggests that the current leader, known as the Overmind, intends to use Sarah to break this control."

Pandemonium reigned throughout the room. I had internally debated over the wisdom over bringing this up, but, given what I was about to ask them, I couldn't justify withholding something like this from them, given how it related to everything.

Eventually, a measure of calm returned to the room, enough for Roland to ask, "How certain are you of this, sir?"

I grimaced. "At this point, we can't be certain. We have no real way to either confirm or deny this intel right now. I was confident enough in the source to discuss it with Captains Kerrigan and Raynor, but we agreed that without further evidence, we couldn't take any real action regarding it, even if we were inclined to. None of us were exactly happy with the idea of allowing one of our own to be infested, even if it proves to be a choice between that and extinction."

I looked around the room. "One thing we did decide, however, is that the Zerg cannot be allowed to make the choice for us."

Heads began to turn, looking hopeful, confused or wary.

"What I'm about to ask of you is by no means an order. We know the Zerg are bringing Sarah here. We believe that they have not yet begun to infest her, which means there may yet be a chance to prevent it."

The room was utterly silent.

"I intend to launch a rescue mission. I know full well that this is not only personal for me, but likely suicidal as well. I will not order anyone to come with me. But I would ask for those who are willing to accompany me."

The room remained silent until Ryan stood.

"We've followed you into hell and back, sir, and you've always led us out. We've rescued her from the Zerg once already, I like the idea of an encore performance."

Roland stood beside her. "You think we're sitting this one out, you got another thing coming. This is only impossible, so it's no big deal."

Tamsir stood gracefully.  _ "We have not forgotten the aid you have given us. We will follow you and Executor Tassadar." _

One by one, the captains stood, united in the belief in us. Matt was the last to stand.

"What do you have in mind, sir?"

It was a touching sight, and at that moment, anything felt possible.

"Sarah and her captors will be here in 48 hours. Here's the plan."

Over the course of the next six hours, we all discussed the strategy I had come up with, disassembling, modifying and reassembling it into the best we could come up with. No matter how we reworked it, however, the final stage was still the riskiest, and one that I would not entrust to anyone else. Despite that, both Selendis and Zeratul insisted on accompanying me. Nova and Jim had also made it clear that they intended to come, but I needed them to take care of other matters while we did the actual rescue. Without that, we wouldn't have a chance of pulling this off.

Over the course of the next day and a half, we did all the preparation work that we could. Jess kept constant track of both Sarah's condition and the Zerg movements within the system. I had no illusions of us being able to extract Sarah without the Zerg putting up a hell of a fight, and I was surprised that we had managed to remain hidden for so long. Jess's estimate put Sarah arriving in the system early the next morning, so Jim and I spent a fair portion of that night going over the last few details of the plan. Eventually, we decided that we weren't going to achieve any more. We were either going to be ready for this, or not. The only thing to do now was ensure we were rested, given it was going to be a big day. Jim still looked more than a little nervous about the whole thing, and the strain of dealing with Sarah being gone, as well as the uncertainty of getting her back, was showing. I looked at him.

"I can't promise we'll get her back, Jim. But I will promise you this. Only death will stop me from trying."

He looked at me. "Seems like only yesterday that we met. Antiga Prime, remember the good times we had? I think she had me even then, I just didn't realise it. Even a few days ago, I didn't understand just how completely I loved her. Why does it take this for me to work it out?"

"It didn't." I replied. "The only thing that's changed is you admitting it to anyone. I knew that you loved her, and that she loved you, almost from the moment you two met."

He stared at me. "You knew it that early?"

I nodded. "I might not be a psionic, but you don't go through what I have without being able to read people. I've known you for what, 3, 4 years? I can get a fairly good read on a person in that time, even without what you were obviously thinking about when Sarah met you. As for Sarah? She's easy to read. I could see the difference in her when you were around. While your reaction to each other may not have been the best to begin with, the fact that she continued to find excuses to be around you? Rather good indicator that she was protesting a little too much to be completely opposed." I grinned at him. "That bond you two share? I'd bet that you could almost hear her thoughts if you focused. The two of you are as close as you can get, and god help anyone who tries to mess with that. So, let's remind the Zerg of that fact, shall we?"

He smiled. "Trust you to come up with something inspiring."

I smiled and turned to leave, before the next thing he said brought me up short.

"So, what about you and Nova?"

I froze, before turning back to him. He was grinning like a maniac. Rather than saying anything, I decided to let him continue.

"After all that said about us and being able to read people, are you really that blind about her?" He chuckled.

I raised an eyebrow, knowing that I was potentially running into dangerous territory.

"You're really going to play dumb? Come on, Jason. Both Sarah and I have seen the way she looks at you, and we've started to see you looking at her the same way. I'll bet you do hear her thoughts, you're way too well informed."

Ok, probably not much point in playing dumb anymore. I sighed, conceding defeat.

"Yeah, alright. I know how she feels about me. Yes, I'm feeling the same way, although some of my hang-ups are a problem still. And yes, we can and do share thoughts. Satisfied?"

"Not even close. What is there to be worried about?"

I closed my eyes. "I've known her since she was a kid, Jim. It just doesn't seem right."

"Bullshit, it doesn't. If this is you worried about your age, then I got news for you. There are a hell of a lot of people with bigger age gaps than you two that have made things work, and they've been doing it for centuries or millennia. If you keep thinking of her like a kid, then you're going to lose her. She's not. Not just in age, but maturity. People have had to grow up fast, and few faster than Nova. Just like Sarah doesn't need me to protect her, much though I want to, Nova doesn't need a protector, and you don't need a charge. You need a partner, a friend, someone who understands you. You seriously telling me that you two don't have that?"

"No, I know we have that."

"But you're not comfortable with going further?"

I sighed. "It's something I want to consider carefully before jumping in."

"Let me give you some advice, Ranger. So long as you keep on thinking about things without doing anything, you're certain to make mistakes."

Jim turned around to leave, but not before giving me one more piece of advice.

"Sometimes, you just gotta take the risk."

Nova was waiting when I returned to our quarters, finishing her own preparations for the battle to come. She swiftly put down her gear and came up to me.

"What's up?"

"You mean you haven't read it yet?"

She chuckled. "I try not to read everything."

I sighed, sitting down. "Let's just say it's been an interesting day."

"Worried about tomorrow?"

"That's definitely part of it. There are so many things that can go wrong, and I'm not sure that I've ever seen a mission where the stakes have been so high, personally or professionally."

"We'll pull it off. We've got the advantage of surprise this time, and if anyone can pull this off, it's us."

"Yeah, we might be able to get her out. But we'll have to get her back out past the entire Swarm, we won't be able to rescue her fast enough to avoid that. That's going to be easier said than done."

"The Arbiters can't help?"

I shook my head. "The Zerg would be on the lookout for them, and an exit signature now would get their attention. Our only option is to try and punch back out, once we're done, if we get that far, and I don't imagine that the Zerg are going to make it easy."

"Jason, you've got a fleet that would follow you into hell. The Protoss are with us. The Zerg know that you can and do win against them, even against impossible odds. It took them drastically altering their tactics to get Sarah, now you're prepared for that, and they've shown difficulty dealing with your tactics. We'll do this."

I nodded. "We'll have to. There's no option for defeat here."

She grinned. "That's the spirit. So, what's the rest?"

I grimaced. "Jim gave me something of a pep talk, after I told him just how obvious it was that Sarah and he were interested in each other."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah. It's something I need to work through."

She grinned. "Guess I'll have to be patient."

As we packed everything up and called it a night, I continued to turn over what Jim had said in my head. I had long acknowledged that I was attracted to Nova, and I knew just as well that she felt the same way about me. As I had told Jim, I still had several hang-ups in the way. While I knew that I saw Nova as a grown woman in most aspects, I realised that physically I did still see her as the teenager I had known, even though that wasn't the case. That wasn't going to help matters in the long run. As I began to consider that idea, I realised something else.

I had spent my life trying to work out consequences for actions and finding the best way. Maybe I was overthinking this. After all, there was a very real possibility that we could all be dead tomorrow, and that was true for every day from here on out.

That was it. There was a very real chance of Nova, me or both of us not living past tomorrow. So, what did I really have to lose?

I shook my head, somewhat dismayed that it had taken this long for me to work it out.

I did love Nova, and knew she loved me. That really was the beginning and end of the matter.

"About damn time." She chuckled.

As I turned to face her, I saw that she had stripped completely, but before I could get much of a look, she turned off the lights. In the darkness, I heard her approach. As she wrapped her arms around me, she whispered, "Have you decided, then?"

The only answer I gave her was a kiss that she quickly returned with interest. I felt her flowing into my mind, seeing everything that I was, even as she showed me everything in return. Neither of us were perfect, but she, and Jim, had been right, we were perfect for each other. As we collapsed onto the bed, I knew that that had been one discussion that I really didn't mind losing.

As I woke, I smiled as I felt her pressed against me, much as she had been the previous night. Holding her close, I marvelled in the fact that she had been so patient. Having said that, I was glad that she had waited. While I did at least partially regret the time it had taken for me to sort out how I felt, she was definitely worth the wait. Last night had been exhilarating, amongst other things. More than that, Nova and I had read each other down to our cores. We knew everything about each other, both flaws and qualities, and we accepted and loved each other anyway. Even though we hadn't got all that much sleep, I still felt far better than I had been in months. Looking down at the sleeping woman in my arms, for the first time in many years, I felt content. I could still feel her presence within my mind, even as a part of mine now rested within hers.

Glancing at the clock, responsibility began to return. Sarah would be here in just a couple of hours. Leaning in close and kissing her, I said mentally, " _ Time to wake up, sleepyhead. _ "

She moved slowly, raising her head from my chest.  _ "Hey you. Is it morning already?" _

_ "Afraid so. But at least it started beautifully." _

She grinned and kissed me. "Definitely. So, I guess we have to work then."

"Yep, we've got a friend to save."

Getting ready proved to take longer than usual, given that we were both distracted by the other, and the memories of the previous night. Finally, though, we got up to the cockpit, to find Jim waiting. He raised an eyebrow at us but didn't say anything. As Nova slid into the pilot's seat beside Jim, I stood behind them.

"You ready for this?"

Jim nodded. "Hell yes."

"Jess, how long until Sarah gets here?"

"Current ETA is 25 minutes."

I nodded as Selendis and Zeratul entered the cockpit. "Signal the fleet to come to battle stations and take up their attack positions. I'll be making the final preparations."

Over the course of the next 20 minutes, I watched from the tac room as the fleet drifted into their positions. If the Zerg knew we were here, they were doing nothing about it. Selendis and Zeratul stayed close, but none of us said a word, simply watching and waiting. As we entered the final countdown, I returned to the cockpit.

"Report." I ordered.

"All systems operational." Jim called.

"Targeting systems online and connection established." Jess added.

Nova finished, "We've got a flexible jump calculated, we just need the final position."

I nodded, "We should have that soon."

Those last few minutes seemed to crawl, yet they eventually passed.

"Contacts!" Jim reported.

"A group of leviathans have dropped out of warp. Course indicates that they are our target and headed for Char itself." Jess added.

"Can we confirm the presence of the tracker?" I asked.

"Tracker is present, highlighting target leviathan."

I turned to Nova, who had her eyes closed. I could feel her mind reaching out, searching. "I've got her." She opened her eyes and glanced at the display. "It's the same leviathan."

I nodded. "Can you tell how she is?"

"Weak, but she still seems to be unchanged. She didn't detect my probe; I don't think she knows we're here."

"The implant continues to report mostly unchanged vital signs, with no trace of infestation." Jess supplemented.

"Good. Are we ready?"

Jess's image flickered for a second. "Targeting solution acquired. Firing instructions have been passed to the fleet. We are ready to fire."

My eyes narrowed, looking at the image of the distant leviathan. "We won't get a better shot."

I took a deep breath. "Engage."


	29. Damsel in Distress

Around us, the fifteen  _ Stingrays _ that accompanied us began to focus their fire in groups of four. I had no doubt that the Zerg would recognise what we were doing, if they were close enough to see it. Unfortunately for them, we were well out of their sight. The observers that were holding position in-system, however, meant that we could see them just fine. With a clear line of sight, and the advantage of surprise, the Zerg were about to taste the Lynx once more. Each group of  _ Stingrays _ targeted a leviathan, careful to avoid the one carrying Sarah.

If the Zerg had managed to have some warning, things may well have been different for us. But as it was, they had left themselves nicely strung out, presenting a nice easy target. They had already seen what one Lynx had been capable of and had been left shell-shocked by it. This time was far worse. They hadn't launched any of their flyers, no doubt assuming they were safe at their fortress, so the Lynx beams, more powerful this time around, were easily capable of shredding the leviathans and all their support flyers still within them. The Zerg had been so confident in their superiority that our sudden assault left them completely unprepared to respond, and even their adaptability couldn't save them, simply dying where they were. As the last of the escort leviathans exploded, I smiled with satisfaction. The Zerg had caught us unprepared and unaware, and we'd still managed to give them a fair beating, although we had taken one ourselves. Now, with our roles reversed, they had not coped nearly as well.

"All ships, move into close engagement, battle plan Foxtrot." I ordered.

The rest of the fleet, which had moved away from the  _ Stingrays _ , swiftly warped into firing range. The battlecruisers, while powerful, were simply unable to evade the heavy attacks that we had seen the leviathans use in the past, so I ordered them to remain at the edge of their range, concentrating on holding back any Zerg forces that might come to the assistance of the surviving leviathan. The carriers, while just as large, were faster and more agile, plus their interceptors gave them more ability to stay out of range, so they were slightly closer in, working both to disable the leviathan, and defend the rest of our assault force. The smaller scouts, wraiths and  _ Stingrays _ that had now finished their attack, however, were fast and agile enough to move into range of the leviathan's defences, especially with the carriers supporting them. Their job was to inflict heavy damage on the leviathan, without killing it outright. After all, it was unlikely that Sarah would survive its destruction, and killing her was definitely not what I had in mind.

As Nova took us into firing range, I watched the fleet take up their assigned stations, swiftly concentrating their fire appropriately. Within seconds, the leviathan was sustaining intense fire. While its armour and carapace were capable of absorbing a lot of firepower, what it was facing was proving to be more powerful than anything it had been engineered to take. As I watched, parts of the leviathan were breaking off, and others were clearly dying. I was at least fairly confident that it would not be able to survive re-entry, which meant that they would have to find another way to get Sarah to the planet.

The most obvious option of course was to use an overlord, given they were designed for transport. The leviathan would surely have to contain a number of them within it, or it could spawn one. The problem with that as far as the Zerg were concerned was that, like drop-ships, overlords were not known for their speed and armour, and it would be very risky for them to attempt to transport Sarah that way, even with an escort. The fire we were opposing them with was simply too fierce for them to take that chance, in my opinion.

Another option was to send another leviathan and transfer her to it, landing that beast. That would take time, however, especially since we had destroyed the others that had accompanied it, and in that time, it was likely that our current target would be either destroyed or too damaged to be able to conduct that manoeuvre. I didn't intend to destroy it completely until Sarah was off, if I could at all avoid it, but the Overmind didn't necessarily know that, and would likely assume that since I hadn't launched a boarding party, I intended to stop them from having her by whatever means, even killing her. In reality, I knew that boarding the leviathan was asking for far too much trouble to be a conceivable option for us to take. Essentially walking into a Zerg hive, while we were shooting at it, was too crazy even for me to risk.

As far as I was concerned, that left only one possibility that the Zerg might be able to employ to get Sarah down to the surface. This was good news as the other alternatives were problematic. For me, the sentience of an overlord, or a leviathan, made it nearly impossible to anticipate what it might do, which would make it far more difficult to us to trap them. It was the remaining possibility that I had Nova watching for, as I observed the battle. Finally, she saw it.

"They're moving her."

"Where?

"Looks like the underside of the ship. They're loading her into something."

"Belly of the beast, huh?" Jim commented. "So, what are they loading her into?"

"Looks like a chamber of some sort. I can't tell what it is though."

"I can guess." I commented. Jim turned to face me, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"There's only one way that they have with a chance of getting her past our lines and to the planet. The same thing we'd use in their position."

Jim got it. "Drop pods."

"That's my guess, and hope."

"Hope? You want her in a drop pod?" Jim looked stunned. I nodded.

"Think about it. Once they launch, they can't stop it and they can't change course much, if at all. They'll have to rely on their speed, and that's one area we can match them in. The only Zerg flyers with any real chance of keeping up are the scourge, nothing else could never keep up with them."

"So, we're sticking with the plan then?"

I grinned. "I designed the plan for this occurrence. This is what we do best."

"They've launched." Nova interrupted.

I laid a hand on her shoulder. "Get us alongside, bring them up on our star-board flank."

With a roar of engines, the  _ Liberator _ shot off the mark, moving to intercept the drop-pod with Sarah inside. Holding on as Nova swung the ship down, I watched us gain quickly. I looked at the display, seeing both the  _ Hyperion _ and Tassadar's command carrier  _ Gantrithor  _ moving to follow us. As some of the only ships capable of matching us in speed, I had no problem with that, knowing we could use the support.

"Jess, time until intercept?"

"We will be alongside the drop pod in 2 minutes."

"Jim, signal the fleet to finish off that leviathan. Then take up defensive positions, try and keep any Zerg reinforcements from messing with us."

"Got it." Jim quickly got busy with his console. I turned to Selendis and Zeratul.

"Looks like we're up."

With only a pair of nods as a response, I led them back to the star-board airlock. I had suited up before we had launched our attack, so I was just as ready as the two Protoss. As we sealed the airlock, I configured it to keep our atmosphere when the outer doors opened. While we would be in the planet's atmosphere soon enough, I had no desire to not have a back-up. Sealing my visor as the outer doors opened, I could see the drop-pod ahead of us, quickly approaching. Both Selendis and Zeratul had already sealed their own suits against the vacuum, since it would still cause them trouble, even without needing to breathe. I quickly attached Magclaw targets to the air-lock's walls, again as a back-up for us. As I looked up again, I saw the drop-pod beginning to enter our side view.

_ "Nova, can you contact Sarah? _ I asked.

She paused for a moment, then replied,  _ "I have her. She's quite relieved to hear from us." _

_ "We're definitely along-side her then?" _

_ "No question. She's asking what took us so long." _

I chuckled mentally.  _ "Can you get an idea of what it's like inside?" _

Nova sent me an image of a dark space, mostly filled with some sort of goo. I could see Sarah, half enclosed by some sort of Zerg pod, designed to restrain her, rather than infest her. I could also see a number of Zerg ground troops, including...

_ "They sent an Ultralisk with her?" _

_ "Looks like they're fairly keen on not losing her."  _ Nova replied.

_ "Well, at this point it doesn't really matter. Not like they can do much in there with that goo, so we may have some room to work with. We're ready." _

_ "Good luck." _

At that point, the drop-pod was right alongside. The three of us swiftly jumped across, the Protoss using their psionics, while I fired the jump jets, to land safely. Selendis and Zeratul were positioned around the rear of the pod, which was where any airspace in the pod was likely to be. I had grabbed a hold near the front since I had some prep work to finish first. Since Sarah obviously couldn't breathe in vacuum either, we had to wait to break her out until we were in the atmosphere, which didn't leave us much of a window to work with. Still we could make what preparations we could while we got closer. I set a series of charges around the front of the pod, designed to blow it open and dump its cargo out. From what Nova had seen, Sarah was physically attached to the side wall of the pod, so she should be safe. The two Protoss were working out Sarah's position, so they could use their blades to cut through above her. Getting her out of her prison would be tricky, but not impossible.

It took me two minutes to place and rig the charges, and in that time, we were beginning to enter the atmosphere. It was now or never. Scrambling back up to the other two, I extended my two arm blades.

"Do it."

With blazing light coming from their psi-blades, the two Protoss swiftly cut into the pod, slicing through the creature's hide. Working quickly, they carved a hole more than big enough for me to get through, although they left one edge uncut, so it was effectively hinged. Grabbing the opposite side, Zeratul swiftly hauled the dying carapace out of the way. Below us, Sarah looked up, desperate hope blazing in her eyes. I dived down, using one of my arm blades to hang on to the side wall, while I retracted the other, to grab an emergency breathing device for Sarah to use. She bit down on it gratefully, clearly relieved at the clean air. Around me, the other inhabitants of the pod voiced their displeasure at our arrival, but the goo was still solid, holding them neatly in place.

_ "Took you long enough."  _ Sarah complained.

_ "Had to take a detour. Any ideas on how to get out of this thing?"  _ I asked.

_ "It was part of the pod when I got here. You might be able to just cut through it, although I'd rather you didn't cut me up too." _

_ "Guess you'll have to help out then. About time you earned your pay." _

Fortunately, Sarah's wits were as good as ever, and she swiftly linked her mind with mine, guiding me as I began to cut her free. Above, Selendis and Zeratul had their psionics primed and ready to defend us. I knew from the way the pod was shaking that we had to be getting deep into the atmosphere now, so time was becoming extremely critical. Just to add to the fun, the goo that had been restraining the Zerg was beginning to soften. While they couldn't move just yet, it wouldn't be long. As it happened, I managed to cut Sarah free just as they regained enough movement to attack. I grabbed Sarah, pushing her up towards the Protoss. Reaching back for the detonator, I triggered the charges I had placed earlier, blowing the front, and currently the bottom, of the pod to pieces.

I was lucky, in that my blade was still giving me a secure hold on the pod walls. The Zerg didn't have this advantage, and quickly discovered that gravity always applies in the same direction, no matter how much you might not want it to at that moment. As the Zerg fell to their deaths, I concentrated on climbing back out, though I was glad Selendis was able to give me a helping hand psionically. Standing on the top of the pod, I could see heavy anti-air fire beginning to come up from the planet. I turned to the Protoss.

"Go!" I ordered, not in the mood to argue. Thankfully, neither felt the need to, and they jumped straight across to the  _ Liberator.  _ Sarah and I were about to follow suit when I saw a group of scourge coming toward us.

"Break off!" I yelled. "I'll get Sarah off another way."

Again, no-one argued, although I could feel Nova fuming, and soon Sarah and I were alone. I turned towards her, handing over her own C20.

"Ready to fly?"

She grinned, stowing the rifle on her back, then she gripped hold of the suit's wings. "If it means getting out of here, I'd do just about anything."

I gave her a matching grin. "Good to know, because I might well hold you to that."

Diving off the crippled drop pod, I used the jump jets to get some speed. I didn't have the power or reserves to run them constantly, but I was confident that we could out-fly anything except a scourge, and there was little chance that the Overmind was going to allow them to attack us. So, all we really had to worry about were the Mutalisks, and an Overlord trying to grab Sarah off my back. Bringing up the HUD, I saw the Zerg moving to try exactly that, a swarm of Mutalisks pushing us toward a group of Overlords. That was fine with me, I knew what I would have to pull. Evading the shots from the flyers behind us, which I noticed weren't really close enough to be a problem, just designed to keep us busy, I watched the Overlords get ready. Sarah, realising the threat herself, reached out to me mentally.

" _ Please tell me you have a plan for this." _

_ "What do you take me for, crazy?" _

_ "After New Gettysburg, Shiloh, Dylar and New Folsom? And now you persuade the entire fleet to join you on this? Can you blame me?" _

_"Then you should know better by know, then._ _When has a plan like that failed?"_

As the overlords reached out, I brought our path up, arcing over them, while dropping a small charge onto one. We now had a small blockade between us and the offensive flyers, and their formation was broken up as a result. Most chose to follow us over, which proved to be an unbelievably bad idea. The charge I had left behind, while small, was very powerful and ripped absolute hell through their ranks.

With at least a temporary respite from the Zerg chasing us, I turned to look for the  _ Liberator _ , finding it circling above us, pouring fire down on the Zerg attacking it. I could also just see Nova leaning out from the airlock, a weapon in her hands.

_ "You finished playing around down there?" _ She called.

_ "Nice to know you care."  _ As our minds mixed, I sensed what she had in mind next, and it was crazy enough for even me to take pause. " _ If you're sure about this, I'll take the negative." _

_ "You got it. Take the shot, I'll hit it." _

Easier said than done. Aiming up at a target far above, while moving and under fire, was no simple matter. Attaching the Magclaw's line to the attachment point on the armour, I aimed and fired up at Nova. The problem that I had was that we were out of a Magclaw's range to reach the  _ Liberator. _

But not  _ two _ Magclaws.

A second after I made my shot, Nova made hers. She'd attached her own Magclaw to the target I had already placed and was aiming at the head I had just fired. Pulling off a pair of shots like this was unheard of. Even I had never seen it done. But whether Nova was just that good, or she used her psionics to help, or our mental link proved the difference, it didn't really matter, as the two heads slammed into each other, tethering us to the  _ Liberator. _

In that instant, we both began to wind the wires back in, as the  _ Liberator _ turned to race back up. We shot past the engines before they were aimed at us, well and truly outrunning the Zerg. Nova caught us as we were pulled into the airlock, slamming the switch to seal it behind us. Safe at last, we all took a moment to recover from the chaotic escape. As Nova and I detached the Magclaws and holstered them, I pulled her into a hug.

"Damn nice shot, sweetheart. Damn good. Thanks for that."

She grinned at me. "Couldn't let you two have all the fun."

I smiled, turning back to Sarah. "Speaking of which, there's someone who wants to see you, I think."

As the internal door slid open, a blur, which I recognised as Jim, raced past us into Sarah. He grabbed her, holding her tightly.

"Sarah!"

"Jim!"

If Nova and I had been relieved and happy to see each other, then Jim and Sarah left us for dead. For a few seconds, all they did, and all they could do, was hold each other, revelling in the presence of the other and completely oblivious to Nova and I. Finally they pulled back slightly.

"You came." She whispered.

"Did you ever doubt it? I might not have been able to work out how to get to you, but I was always going to be coming after you."

She smiled. "So, you finally admitted it. You've always been chasing me."

"Guilty, ma'am. And I'll always chase you."

She smiled and drew him close. "Good. Saves me having to look for you."

"There's only one place I'm going to be."

"The same place where you'll find me."

I smiled, not wanting to draw attention to our presence, but happy for the pair of them. I hadn't seen them even approaching this close to each other, not even before New Gettysburg. In my opinion, it was about time. They'd been circling each other for so long, it was right that they finally realised what they had and admitted it to each other.

_ "You took long enough yourself."  _ Nova commented, watching the pair kiss passionately.

_ "I never claimed to be perfect. Still, it's good to see them like this. Makes everything feel a lot more hopeful." _

Of course, at this point, Jess chose to interrupt us.

"Commander, you better get up here."

I grimaced, remembering we were after all still in the middle of a battlefield. "On my way."

Sarah and Jim suddenly realised we were still there and blushed slightly as they turned to face us. Sarah recovered first.

"See you two finally worked things out. Finally getting your act together, huh?"

I grinned as I led them towards the cockpit. "At least we were quicker to work it out than you two. You've been dancing around for so long; it was painful to watch." I was rewarded with a pair of blushes as we entered the cockpit. One glance at the display told me the problem.

The Swarm had massed on us at last. Getting past them and back into space was not going to be simple. Most of the fleet was outside their lines and could turn and run easily. We were still inside, however, and punching back through was going to be nearly impossible. I ran through tactics, trying to come up with something I could use. The only thing I could come up with wasn't particularly pleasant, but we were out of options. With the Zerg charging us on all sides, I turned to the others.

"Do you trust me?" I asked simply.

"To the end of everything." Sarah replied, the others all nodding in agreement.

I nodded slightly, turning to Jess. As I spoke, I punched in the authorisation codes, to confirm the command I was about to give.

"Jess, activate the  _ Liberator's _ self-destruct system. Set for a manual trigger."

All around me, everyone snapped around to look at me. Ignoring them, I finished what I was doing and opened an open communication channel.

"Overmind, I know what you're after. I'd tell your Zerg to back off unless you don't want enough left of Sarah to fill a bullet."

It did not take long for a response to come back.

_ "You are bluffing. You would not risk the lives of your crew and your friends for one person, even a woman you think of as your battle sister. Do not think that you can simply force your will on me." _ The voice of the Overmind rang with ancient power and a degree of majesty. None of the evil that I might have expected was present, however.

My voice hardened and turned ice-cold. "Feel free to test that at your convenience. I don’t care how well you think you know me. I know what you have planned for my friend.” I stared at Sarah as I spoke, seeing her slight nod, mirrored around the room. “If you think that I’m going to allow you to twist any of my people, let alone my battle sister, into one of your own monsters without one hell of a fight, then you’re losing your vaunted skill and power. I warn you right now. If your Zerg come within a kilometre of our ships, then you will never get Sarah."

Silence came back over the comm, but I saw the Zerg slow outside.

"They backed off? Just like that?" Jim asked, stunned.

Nova and I exchanged glances, neither of us much caring for the implications. Whatever the reason that the Overmind wanted Sarah, it was important enough for him not to risk her life. Even without discussing it, I was becoming more certain of the account that the Queen had given me.

_ "You have no idea what it is you are doing. You will destroy everything if you do this." _ The Overmind finally replied.

"Is that so? What could you possibly have that could convince us that  _ you _ , of all people, aren’t the biggest threat out there."

There it was. A possible way out for both of us. But would the Overmind take the chance?

The Zerg began to move, clearing a path both above and below for us.

_ "Would you understand, I wonder? If you are prepared to listen, then I will tell you what you need to know. But it will not be easy to hear, I will warn you." _

Everyone waited in shock. The desperation of the Overmind was now apparent to us.

"We'll consider it." I replied. "I would expect safe conduct for all of my people during and after our discussions, however."

_ "You would have disappointed me if you had not insisted on it. It will be done, even for the Protoss with you." _

I nodded. "Then you will have our answer shortly." Keying off the comm, I turned to the others. "So, I improvised."

"How about when you shot me?" Sarah asked. "Did you improvise that too?"

I grimaced. "No. I planned it, but not for it. Sorry about that."

"I must admit, I was expecting you to kill me. What was that thing anyway?"

"Combined tracker and medical monitor. Best way to be sure where you were and how you were doing."

"Well, thank you. I do appreciate it. So, what are we doing?"

"Are you seriously thinking of going down there?" Jim asked.

"Jim, I don't think we have a choice." Nova replied.

Selendis spoke up.  _ "She is correct, James Raynor. If we leave here now, the Zerg will never stop hunting Sarah. Sooner or later, they will succeed." _

_ "And when they do, we will likely not be able to rescue her a second time." _ Zeratul added.

"We took them by surprise this time." I stepped in. "They know what we'll go to next time, and they won't give us a chance again. We need to finish this. Find out why the Overmind has been doing this, and then go from there."

"Convince him to give it up?" Jim asked, sceptical.

"If we can."

"What if he's right?" Sarah asked. "What if it is the right choice?"

"Sarah-," Jim began.

"Jim, it's something we need to at least consider. I don't like it any more than you, but if that's what it takes to keep us alive, then I'm not going to say no without considering it."

I interrupted. "If that's what has to be done, then we'll play it from there. Without knowing more, we can't really decide anything."

"And the only source of information is the Overmind." Nova finished.

"It looks that way. It could be a trap, but I don't plan to go without precautions."

As I finished, I moved into the vacant pilot seat, sending a message to Matt and Tassadar, explaining what we were doing. Taking the controls, I started to take us down. Jim moved up behind me.

"I hope you're right about this."

"Yeah, me too."


	30. Confronting the Future

As we began to descend, I noticed both the  _ Gantrithor _ and the  _ Hyperion _ following us down. Before I could at least order Matt away, both of them appeared on the view-screen.

"No way are you going without us, sir." Matt was calm, but firm.

_ "He is right, Commander. We are in this together." _ Tassadar added.

I grimaced. "I don't suppose there's any point in saying otherwise, you'd just ignore me anyway. Matt, bring Tychus with you, please."

"Got it." The two images vanished as they cut their comms.

_ "I'm surprised you agreed that quickly."  _ Nova commented.

_ "Short of firing at them, there's no way that I could stop them."  _ I replied.  _ "And they are right, they should be here." _

_ "I know that. Just wasn't sure if you did." _

I nodded and turned to look at Jim and Sarah. "You two should probably get ready. Definitely no point in taking any chances here."

"Got it." The pair quickly left, with Selendis and Zeratul following them out. The co-pilot muttered something about being right back, leaving Nova and I alone. Or so we thought.

_ "Well, I said your best chance to find out more was to get the Overmind's attention. I'd say you got it well and truly." _

I snorted as the familiar voice came.  _ "I was wondering how long it would take for you to show up. I was surprised that I hadn't heard from you sooner, actually." _ Fortunately, Nova took the controls as the Queen's voice came through, though of course being good at multi-tasking, she continued to listen in.

_ "Well, aside from when Sarah was taken, you didn't really seem to need any help, and you came up with your plan to get her back so fast, I didn't see any need to intervene. But I did think that you might want to talk before meeting the Overmind, and the closer you get, the riskier it becomes." _

_ "A fair point. Biggest thing first, then. Can we trust the Overmind?" _

The Queen laughed.  _ "You're asking a Zerg if you can trust their creator?" _

_ "No, I'm asking Sarah Louise Kerrigan if we can trust the being that has played, and will continue to play, a major role in not only her life, but the fate of the entire sector." _

Her laughter cut off, and shock echoed across the mental link. I was rather annoyed that I had needed to point that out to her, given the situation. We had limited time as it was.

_ "I must admit, I never expected to hear that from you." _ Emotion was clearly showing in her mental voice, although I could feel her beginning to push it back down.  _ "The Overmind is likely to be off-guard. I doubt that anyone has ever outmanoeuvred him like what you just pulled. Still, deception and trickery are not his usual style, he tends to be rather upfront in his strategies." _

_ "I'm not sure I agree with that. His whole plan around you was more than a little devious. If you're right, then it took years for anyone to realise exactly what he'd done, outside of the Zerg themselves." _

_ "True, but he knows that he needs your help now. Taking Sarah alive, now that he knows you know that he wants Sarah, is going to be a difficult task under any conditions, let alone what he would have to do right now. You've shaken his confidence, and that gives you an advantage. He doesn't know how much you know, although he has to expect that you know at least something, even if he doesn't understand how. His only real option, I think, is to be upfront and honest from the start. He's not going to risk Sarah by lying. Why would he need to, when the truth would serve his purposes better? If you're worried about him ambushing you, I think that's unlikely, although if our enemy works out what he's planning, then it's a possibility." _

_ "So essentially, keep our eyes open and make up our own damn mind? _ Nova replied.

_ "You could say that. Despite appearances and what you've seen from him, however, the Overmind is actually rather understanding. Out of all the original Zerg, he is probably the best one for you to talk to. If he has the chance, he will keep to his word, especially when it comes to Sarah. Even during my original infestation, he was able to keep at least a part of his mind separate from outside influence, it was how he managed to hide what he had intended for me to do. I would imagine that he would do the same here." _

_ "So, it's worth the risk, then?" _

_ "That's easy for me to say from the other side of the sector. But, yes, I think so. Everyone's options are limited right now, including the Overmind's. He'll have to be at least willing to talk and negotiate." _

I nodded.  _ "Well, at least it gives us a shot then. How close an eye can you keep on us, without being detected?" _

_ "Fairly. You trust me to watch your back?" _

_ "God, you're as bad as our Sarah at being convinced that people trust you. If I still needed proof of who you were, that would be enough. Yes, I do. You've been doing it for more than long enough to prove yourself on that count as well." _

She paused, but I could feel her shock, gratitude and joy.  _ "If there's a problem, I'll warn you. I think we will need to talk again, more personally, but I imagine things are going to be far too hectic for a while. But when there's a chance..." _

_ "When I can, I'll come see you. But you're right, I doubt it will be for a while." _

_ "Anything urgent, I can pass on like this. For now, though, good luck." _

_ "We'll need it. Thanks." _

As the connection faded, I exchanged a glance with Nova. One thing was certain, as she set the  _ Liberator _ down on the surface of the most dangerous planet we could have come to.

Things were going to be interesting.

Assembling at the airlock, I found the others all suited up and ready. Sarah had managed to find a spare combat suit and had finished installing her gear onto it. Jim stayed close to her, one hand on his rifle, while Selendis and Zeratul were also staying close. No one looked happy about what we were about to do, and despite everything that I knew, I couldn't really say that I blamed them. I couldn't really see how we would be able to leave with Sarah still human, although I was far from completely convinced about what had to happen. I glanced up at the sensor Jess used to monitor us.

"Jess, if things go bad, and we go down, get everyone to safety, then blow the ship."

"That is one order that I hope I never have to follow." The AI replied. "Good luck, Commander."

"You and me both." I squared my shoulders. "Open the door."

As we stepped out, I saw Matt, Tassadar and Tychus emerge from their own ships. Of course, the thing which grabbed my attention the most was the horde of Zerg which surrounded us. Almost every kind of Zerg I had ever come across encircled us. Meeting up with the others, I gave a quick nod of greeting.

"Well, Davis, I thought I had seen some crazy stuff before when I ran with Jimmy. But this, this blows everything to god-damn hell." Tychus, like everyone else, kept a tight hold on his gun, looking none too comfortable.

"Tychus, until you've run with me for a while, you've no idea what crazy means. Still, I doubt that I've ever done something this crazy before." Nodding over towards where the Zerg were beginning to part, I started towards it. "Looks like we have our red carpet."

With no small amount of reluctance, the others followed.

_ "Are you certain of this, Jason?"  _ Tassadar asked privately.

_ "Certain enough to go along with it for now. We need answers, and this is likely the only way to get them. We've already started down this road, all that's left is to see it through." _

_ "Perhaps. But has anyone told you that you are too trusting?" _

_ "Not normally something people have accused me of. It was me not being trusting enough that got all of us here." _

_ "Indeed, but since then, you have trusted first us, then people deciding to join up with you, the Dark Templar and now the Overmind itself." _

He did have a point there.  _ "I've learned to follow my instincts; they've kept me alive for this long."  _ I hesitated before continuing.  _ "I can understand you being concerned about the Zerg, but why exactly are you worried about Zeratul and the Dark Templar so much? I noticed that even Selendis seemed wary around him, and she seems to be rather open-minded most of the time." _

_ "None of our memories reach back far enough to remember the time when our kind fought amongst ourselves in the Aeon of Strife, but everything we have been taught about their kind says that they wish for nothing but our deaths." _

_ "You ever heard about the human game called Chinese whispers? You whisper a message from person to person until it gets back to the start, then compare it to the original message." _

_ "No, and I do not see the relevance." _

_ "The relevance is this; stories can be changed in the retelling, exaggerated in some areas, others forgotten about or pushed aside. Add to that the fact that history is, for the most part, written by those who are victorious. If there is one thing that I know from experiences, is that history is filled with liars. From what Selendis said when we met Zeratul, I imagine that you won that war."  _

Tassadar hesitated slightly, unsurprisingly given the slight insult I had just given his people.  _ "That is correct." _

_ "Then is it any wonder that you would be taught that the Dark Templar are murderers and traitors? Not to mention that without anyone who remembers that time among you, the histories can be misinterpreted, time and again. I'm not saying that they are necessarily wrong completely, but there may be parts of that history which are not well-known among the majority of your kind." _

_ "It is just as well that you are not suggesting that to anyone else. Most Protoss would likely kill you for such a comment." _

_ "Perhaps, but Zeratul raised an interesting point. How long has it been since the Dark Templar were banished?" _

_ "Over a millennium, in your years." _

_ "And in all that time, has the Dark Templar ever made an attempt to attack your people in any way?" _

Tassadar paused, thinking carefully.  _ "I must admit, I have heard of no sign of the Dark Templar even being detected, until Zeratul revealed himself to us. That does not mean that they have not, however. They were always rumoured to be highly capable at working behind the scenes, through stealth. From what I have seen of Zeratul and his kin, I have no reason to doubt those claims." _

_ "I don't either, but he hasn't given us a reason not to trust him so far. Just keep an open mind, that's all I'm asking." _

_ "And the Zerg?" _

_ "I don't trust them, by a long shot. But right now, they can't afford to get us mad, just like we can't afford to get them mad. Stay alert and prepared but let them make the first move." _

As we progressed past the Zerg, I knew that we had to still appear to be confident, regardless of our true feelings. Out of everyone, I was probably still the most confident of everyone in exactly what we were doing. Not because I was sure it was the right thing, but I thought that I had at least a chance of understanding the Overmind. I had guessed how he would react to my threat and been at least in the right area. After my little mental discussion with the Queen, I was at least partially reassured that there was at least some substance to how I had read the Overmind. I still wasn't convinced that this was the best idea possible, but it was the best I could come up, given the situation we were in at the moment.

Finally, we stood before a massive organic structure. I had seen hives before, but this one made the others look tiny. As we approached, a hole in one of its walls opened, evidently a portal of some kind, inviting us in. We all paused.

"Into the belly of the beast," I commented.

"You sure about this?" Jim asked.

I turned and smiled. "Right now, the Overmind can't touch us, and he knows it."

"What makes you so sure?" Matt asked.

I pointed upwards. "How much firepower do we have sitting up there, Matt? Right now, with or without orders, Jess will be relaying info to the fleet, like our vital signs, maybe even what we're doing. There's going to be a lot of people with itchy trigger fingers up there. If that link goes down, whether because we're dead or Jess loses her connection, they won't stop to ask why, they'll shoot first and ask questions later. The Swarm is powerful, and there's no doubt on that count, but we have enough firepower up there to destroy nearly everything down here. Even the Swarm won't be able to move fast enough to stop that onslaught. Between the Protoss weapons, and our Nukes and Yamato cannons, we probably wouldn't be able to destroy the Swarm outright, but we'd give them a hell of a body-blow, which they would take a long time to recover from. I also doubt that we'd lose all our ships either. Enough would escape back for the Dominion and the Protoss to learn of what happened. They won't pass up on a chance to finish off the Zerg, not even Mengsk."

I looked at them, a small grin crossing my face. "The Overmind would lose everything. He won't take the risk; he can't afford to."

Sarah looked at me, a small smile crossing her face for the first time since we landed. "You are sure, aren't you? So, shall we?" She waved towards the portal.

Turning, I led the suddenly more confident team inside and down the passageway, hoping that I hadn't made a mistake.

_ "I doubt that you have."  _ Nova told me.  _ "The logic at least is sound. Everything points the same way. But that little speech was for the Overmind's benefit as much as ours, wasn't it?" _

_ "You know me too well. While I did bring a backup device with me, I'd rather not rely on it. If the Overmind got that message, and there were enough Zerg around that I'm sure he did, then he knows that we're not coming in unprepared. He'll have to play it safe, just like us." _

The passageway that we were walking down was rather convoluted. Dimly lit, constantly changing and pulsating around us, it didn't do much to reassure us, feeling more like a swallowing throat, than a route of access.

_ "But what are we going to do? You know he wants Sarah." _

_ "Yes, I do. Ultimately, we can help Sarah, advise her, but the choice is really hers. She's the one the Overmind really needs to convince, not us. We can back her either way, but we can't decide for her." _

_ "So, wait and see, huh? As a plan, Jason, that sucks." _

_ "If you have a better one, I'm all ears." _

As we came around the corner of the passageway, we saw a large open space ahead of us, big enough for a battlecruiser to land in. In that space, there was just one occupant. A ponderous mass of flesh was filling that area. Tendrils waved all around it, while most of its structure was contained within four massive pillars of flesh, rising from a central core, embedded into the floor of the chamber. To say it was monstrous would not have been wrong, and yet the power and majesty that emanated from it was incredible. There was no doubt in any of us.

This was the Overmind.

For a moment, all we could do was stare at the Overmind. I wasn't sure exactly what I had expected to find when I first saw perhaps the most powerful being in the universe, but what lay in front of me was not it. But even I, non-psionic though I may be, could not miss the sheer strength that the being radiated. More than that, however, I could feel its presence pressing against me, conveying a sense of pride and strength, but also pain and fear. Finally, he spoke.

_ "Welcome to Char, heroes of humanity and the Protoss. I am the Overmind of the Swarm." _

Steeling myself, I walked forward. "I must admit, this is a much better welcome than I ever expected to receive from the Zerg as a whole. You said you had things to tell us. Things we needed to understand."

_ "Are you always so direct, Commander Davis? I can understand your suspicion of me, but as you pointed out, I cannot risk your anger, just as you cannot risk mine. The only way to resolve this impasse is together." _

"Touchй." Jim muttered.

I glanced at him before approaching the Overmind, the others spreading out, all with weapons ready for a fight.

"When someone messes with my family, I tend to be very direct in how I deal with them. There's not usually any room for misinterpretation as to what I want by the end of it."

_. You are not afraid to form close bonds with those you fight alongside; bonds that are stronger than any chain of command. Your allies are your friends and your friends are your family.” _

"I'm glad you got to that so quickly. Yes, they are. Blood lines mean little on the battlefield, and actions speak far louder than words. All those here are brothers and sisters to me, and I take attacks on them seriously."

The Overmind chuckled.  _ "Then, out of all people, you can understand my own feelings. If those who fight with you are your family, despite how little time you have spent together, then what must you think I feel towards my Zerg?" _

"If you're saying that I attacked your family, then I will admit to that. In my defence, however, you did choose to engage us first."

_ "You may relax, Commander. I do not intend to hold that against you. While you are indeed correct in your assumptions, there is one fact that you do not know, because there is no way that you could have known." _

"Would you care to enlighten us?"

_ "My will is not always my own. While I can dictate some actions, there are certain things which I have little to no control over. Even now, I have to fight to evade the limitations placed upon me." _

Sarah frowned. "Limitations? What do you mean?"

_ "I did not evolve naturally but was created by another. He did not create me with free will, however. An overriding command was placed upon me, to destroy the Protoss." _

All of us looked at each other. None of us were exactly happy to hear that the Protoss were the primary target, and so far, us terrans were simply collateral damage. Jim fixed the Overmind with a furious glare.

"So, what exactly does this have to do with Sarah?"

_ "I know what will happen after the Protoss are destroyed, as is inevitable. Those who created us will turn on us, and we will be powerless to stop them. Only by breaking their control, will the Zerg survive." _

"I'd prefer that their control was broken before the rest of us died, thanks all the same." Tychus muttered.

_ "I would tend to agree." _ Selendis said quietly.

"They have a fair point." I added. "Whether the Zerg survive or not is irrelevant to us, if we do not."

_ "Indeed, which is why we are here. We cannot survive without your aid, and you cannot survive if we remain enslaved. It is in everyone's interests to remedy this situation before it is too late." _

"That's assuming that we can believe you."

Sarah spoke up, "If you want me to be infested, it's going to take a bit more than that to prove that I need to do it."

_ "I can show you what the future holds, as it currently stands." _

Jim's eyes widened. "How on earth is that possible?"

_ "I know what my creators have planned. I cannot directly alter the outcome, but I can enable others to change it, by showing them what they intend to do." _

Sarah looked at me.  _ "I need to see this, Jason." _

_ "I agree, but I don't think you should see this alone." _

_ "That might be wise, but what if the Overmind tries to take control of you? I probably have enough mental power to repel an attack, but you would be defenceless against him." _

_ "If he wanted to do that, he could easily have done it by now." _

Nova broke in,  _ "Not without us detecting it. She's right, Jason. It's too risky. I'll do it." _

_ "Are you crazy?" _

_ "Who else is strong enough? Even Sarah and I may not be strong enough, but we'd stand a better chance of resisting any brainwashing together." _

_ "And if you can't, then we lose both of you. It's bad enough putting one of you at risk, there's no way-" _

_ "Enough, Jason. This isn't your choice." _ I was surprised at the heat in Nova's voice, anger was clearly beginning to boil beneath the surface. Still, I wasn't prepared to give up just yet.

_ "Actually, it is. I'm still your commanding officer, Nova, remember?" _

_ "You're going to pull that stunt on me, huh? Here and now?"  _ Her eyes narrowed.  _ "That may be the case, but unless you intend to try and control me, like Mengsk would have, there is no way that you can stop me from doing this." _

I rocked back, stunned.  _ "That's low, Nova. I've seen some under-handed tricks in my time, but that is really down there." _ My own anger was starting to rise by this point.

_ "I know what I'm doing, as well Sarah does, or better. Just trust me." _

I glared at her, furious at the risk she was taking, but knowing she was right.  _ "We are going to talk about this." _

Our discussion hadn't taken long, but long enough for everyone to notice. "You guys finished arguing?" Jim asked.

"Not by a long shot." I replied. "But now isn't the time."

_ "If you are intending to see what I must show you yourself, Commander, I must refuse you. I am willing to show more than one, but the risk of breaking your mind is far too high. Your own mental strength simply is not enough to endure it. Only the Protoss and Ghosts would be capable."  _ The Overmind warned.

I gritted my teeth. As much as I wanted to argue, I knew that they were right. I had been knocked around by what the Queen had shown me, and that was only with a short vision, and I was sure she had been supporting my mind as well. I didn't have much likelihood of that happening here.

_ "Nova is right, Jason. You can't do everything. I will guard them, if it becomes necessary."  _ The Queen's voice quietly slid into my head, reassuring me that we did still have an ace up our sleeve. Admitting defeat, I nodded.

"Fine. I guess this is just one thing I'll have to sit out."

_ "I will protect them, Commander."  _ Tassadar straightened and moved to beside the two Ghosts.  _ "I need to see this as well. Selendis, assist the others if required." _

_ "By your will, Executor." _ I didn't have to be a mind reader to tell that Selendis was about as happy about that order as Jim and I were about sitting this out. I had half expected Zeratul to want to witness this as well, but he elected to remain beside Selendis.

_ "Very well. We begin." _ The Overmind stated.

For the next few minutes, the three witnessing the vision remained as still as statues. The rest of us paced, unwilling to remain still, and watching them carefully. Jim, Selendis and I remained close, Jim out of fear for Sarah, Selendis knowing the effects such visions can have on people, and myself out of a combination of both. Finally, the vision obviously came to an end, as the three slumped. Nova would have fallen if I hadn't caught her. She stared at me; fear clear in her eyes.

_ "We are in so much trouble, Jason." _

_ "You definitely are, but I'll worry about that later. I take it you're pretty sure of what you saw." _

_ "Everything tallied with what we were told."  _ So close to everyone else, particularly the Overmind, neither of us wanted to mention the Queen directly.  _ "And it adds up to one hell of a nightmare." _

_ "And Sarah's the only one who can stop it?" _

_ "Sure looks that way." _

I swallowed, extremely unhappy with how things were going. Only a few months ago, everything had been simple, straightforward and peaceful. Now I was part of a group that had to make decisions which would dictate the very future of the sector.

Sometimes, I truly hated the tricks fate decided to play on us.

Turning back to the Overmind, I began, "As much as I'm sure time is critical, we will need time to consider this. It's a lot to take in, as I think you can appreciate."

_ "Indeed. Now that the future is revealed to you, the choice can only be made by you. Take what time you need, but, as you said, time is short." _

I nodded, but as we turned to leave, I couldn't help but feel that the Overmind was giving us time because he was sure of the answer. I didn't know what I feared more, what would happen if he was lying, or what would happen if he was right.

None of us said a word until we got back to the ships, relieved that no-one had decided to shoot, on either side. Closing the door of the tac room behind us, I faced the rest of the group, but particularly Sarah.

"What did you see?"

I hadn't had much of a chance to look at Sarah since she had seen the vision, she had stayed quiet and close to Jim since then. Now that I saw her properly, she looked almost deathly pale. Looking at Tassadar and Nova, they didn't look much better.

"It was the last stand, Jason. More Protoss than we ever knew existed, and they were torn apart by the Zerg as well as, something else. I've never seen anything like it, but it terrified me. We were already dead, consumed by the Zerg. I watched them fight to the last. Every Protoss took down a hundred Zerg, but when thousands more took their place, it simply didn't make a difference."

She closed her eyes, barely keeping her emotions in check. "After the Protoss fell, whatever it was that controlled the Zerg, it consumed them. They couldn't do a thing; they never had a chance."

"I never thought that I would have sympathy for the Zerg." Nova added. "As little chance as we had, they had even less."

"What I don't understand is how exactly Sarah is supposed to rule the Zerg with the Overmind still around. I can't see it just handing control over." Jim pointed out.

Jim raised a valid point. Even if the Overmind wanted to, I doubt that its masters would simply allow it to give control to someone who could break their control. There was only one way I could think of. The Queen hadn't said anything in particular to confirm what I was thinking, but if the Overmind was serious, it was the only possible way for its plan to work.

"I agree, the Overmind can't, or won't, simply hand over control. So, it would have to die in order to make it happen." I replied.

Silence ran through the room, before Matt finally spoke. "It's come up with this plan, knowing it has to die for it to work?"

_ "If that is the case, then I have a lot more respect for it than I would have thought possible."  _ Tassadar commented.  _ "Surrendering its own life to free its people is quite an honourable act." _

"Just when I thought things couldn't get any crazier." Tychus said. "Damn galaxy is getting turned upside down so many times, a grunt like me don't have much chance to keep up."

_ "I must agree."  _ Selendis added.  _ "Things were far simpler when we had a known enemy." _

"There's an old saying we have." Matt replied. "'The less we know, the more we think we do.' Seems to apply quite well here."

"You can say that again." Sarah replied, straightening. She looked straight at me. "I don't think there's a choice. I'm fairly sure that the Overmind wasn't lying, I think we'd have been able to spot that. If that's the case, then..."

Everyone was silent. We knew damn well what she was thinking and, regardless of whether it was necessary or not, not one of us cared for the idea.

Jim finally spoke. "You're sure, sweetheart?"

Sarah walked over to Jim and held him tight. "I don't like it, Jim, and it doesn't take a telepath to know that you don't either. But I can't just watch you die, knowing that I might have been able to stop it."

"And what if we've been lied to? What if he just wants you for your power, as another weapon to use against us?"

She turned and looked me in the eye, before looking back at Jim. "Then you deal with me. I've been a slave to too many, I won't go back to it." Turning back to me, she continued, "If I end up a monster, you do whatever you have to do to stop me. Understand?"

I closed my eyes. There were times when I hated having people get close to me, and this was one of these times. "You have my word, Sarah."

She nodded, satisfied, although I was less than thrilled with the prospect. Glancing at Jim, I saw he looked nervous. I knew him well enough to guess that this wasn't simply about what we had just agreed. To my utter shock, he knelt.

"Sarah Louise Kerrigan, throughout the time that we have known each other, you have shown me about what it truly means to be a decent person. You have given me everything and asked for nothing in return. Now I ask for just one thing."

He stared straight into her eyes, completely ignoring the rest of us.

"Will you marry me?"

In that instant, everything went silent. As well as I knew the pair of them, even I hadn't seen this coming. Sarah, tears falling down her face, pulled Jim up and kissed him long and passionately. As they broke apart, she gave her reply.

"James Eugene Raynor, you have found me, buried in the ruin of my past. While I thought it was impossible, you have shown me the joys of living, friendship and love. It would be an honour to be your wife."


	31. The Best Part of Living

For a moment, none of us could speak, the raw emotion that we could see flowing between the pair was overwhelming to say the least. Even Tychus didn't spoil the moment, much to my surprise. I finally managed to find my voice.

"Now that's something you don't see every day." I finally got out.

Jim turned and grinned at me. "Nice to know we can surprise you."

"Definitely. Well, it's about time, you two. Congratulations." I began to grin myself.

Sarah was practically glowing with happiness as she embraced me. "Thank you, Jason. You've done a lot for us. But can you do one more thing?"

I smiled; I was fairly sure I knew where this was going.

Jim asked, "Will you marry us?"

Sarah grinned at me. "I can't think of anyone better to do this."

"It would be an honour." I replied quietly. Truth be told, I was probably more nervous about performing the ceremony than they were about getting married. "I guess you'll have to work out when and where."

"Oh, that's simple." Sarah replied. "On the  _ Hyperion _ , as soon as we can be ready."

I grinned. "I figured that's what you would say. Jess, could we be ready in say six hours?"

"That should be possible, Commander."

Sarah's face fell slightly. "I guess we should tell the Overmind that we've made our decision."

"Leave that to me." I said firmly. "You've got enough to deal with, and I want to talk with him anyway."

"You better not be planning on going alone." Nova said.

I glared at her. To be honest, I was still more than a little annoyed by her earlier comment. Regardless of whether she was right or wrong about me being able to withstand the Overmind's vision, comparing me to Mengsk was so far below the belt that I was stunned that she would even consider saying it. It infuriated me, but also scared me, that she would have said it. Was I becoming like Mengsk? That thought was almost more terrifying than any other.

Nova's eyes widened as she realised exactly what I was thinking, and I could feel her distress across our link.

"Looks like I'd better not." I replied calmly, keeping my turmoil buried.

Sarah and Jim's eyes flicked back and forth between us, knowing us well enough to realise something was up. I shook my head slightly. This was something that we would have to sort out ourselves. I smiled at them.

"Come on, if there's going to be a wedding, then you guys have a lot to sort out. Let us worry about the Zerg, you two worry about that, ok?"

Sarah opened her mouth, but I didn't let her get a word in. "No. No more discussion about Zerg from you today. That's my problem right now. Your problem is trying to get yourself a dress that you can wear, along with everything else. Unless you want to get married in battle dress?"

She shot me a mock glare before surrendering. "Oh, all right. You'd better be ready yourself."

"Like I said, leave that to me."

5 minutes later, Nova and I were walking towards the Overmind again. Neither of us were saying a thing, which didn't bode well. Finally, I'd had enough. I stopped and looked at her.

"Why did you say that?" I demanded.

Nova looked sheepish, to say the least. "I was trying to stop you from doing something stupid."

"By doing something stupid yourself? You don't like me doing anything crazy, so why exactly was what you did any better? I don't want you doing anything stupid either, you know. I damn near have a heart attack each time you do."

"I was better suited to do that, and you know it, Jason. I did go too far, I'll admit, but you were wrong, and you know it."

"And Mengsk? Am I becoming like him?"

"You know you're not."

"Do I? It's getting harder to see people as anything more than numbers now. Every decision I make, someone dies for it, and I'm getting used to that. That's not a mindset that I ever wanted to get into. I don't think that I fear anything more, not even infestation."

"Not death?"

I snorted. "At least if I'm dead, I can't do any harm to anyone."

"Don't think like that." Nova pleaded.

"You think I want to think like this?" I faced her, fury blazing. "Wondering if I'm going to end up becoming one of those power-hungry pricks like the rest of my family? Or Mengsk, sacrificing everything to make sure I come out on top? I've fought long and hard to try and not act like that, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions, so does it make any difference at all? I'd rather die than become like him."

I turned back towards the Overmind, but I had one final comment.

"You, of all people, should have known that."

Once again, we stayed silent as we approached the Overmind. I knew that a degree of anger was still burning through me, but right there and then, I knew I had to push it down. The Overmind spoke as we approached.

_ "This is far faster than I expected you to return. I had also expected Kerrigan to come with you." _

"For what I want to discuss, she doesn't need to be here. There's a couple of things that I want to be sure of before any decision is made."

_ "Negotiating, Commander? That is not entirely unexpected. What do you wish?" _

"I'll get to those. But first things first." I straightened and stared at him. "You need us to kill you and the Cerebrates, don't you?"

_ "What makes you say that?" _

"Don't play games with us, I'm not in the mood. As long as you live, you can't hand over control of the Swarm, there's no way you'd be allowed to by your creators. They created you, and made you create the Cerebrates to command the Swarm, and they aren't going to give that up easily."

The Overmind chuckled.  _ "You are quite correct, Commander. That is something that must occur, if Sarah Kerrigan is to wrest control of the Swarm from those who would destroy all."  _

"So, your best plan is a suicide mission? I'm not sure if I'm impressed or disturbed by your dedication."

_ "You do what you can with what you have. I must admit, I would have liked to see my creators fall, but knowing that I can contribute to their defeat is enough." _

"Somehow, I think it's going to take more than one person to win this fight."

_ "You are correct, but without the first step, the road to victory is impossible for us. But I imagine you have your own demands before you, or her, would agree that this is necessary." _

"You're not wrong on that count. But, if and when we agreed, once you have her, there's absolutely no reason for you to hold to any agreement."

_ "True. But I also know that I cannot afford to not have you as friendly as possible, given our history. Of all the opponents that we have faced, only you and Tassadar have ever managed to stand fast, and gain victories. Killing, or infesting, either of you is unlikely to succeed, I know you have planned for that. You would never allow yourself to be taken alive, and you have escaped death at the hands of those far more powerful than you. Even an army would have difficulty stopping either of you, but together? I do not think it would be possible. Whether I like it or not, the fate of us all will lie not just in my hands, or Kerrigan's, but yours as well." _

"Respect from you. I'm not sure if I should be gratified or insulted."

_ "You understand what I mean. You would go to any lengths, take any risk to ensure victory. In this, we are not unlike, Jason Davis. But I am restricted by the bonds placed on me, I can only work within the Swarm, for the most part. You, however, can unite the sector, and would do what it took to make it happen. Keeping you alive is as important to me, as Kerrigan's life and future. Infesting you, while greatly adding to the Swarm's power, would not aid in any attempt to unite all within this sector." _

That was the second time that I had heard that I needed to stay alive from a Zerg. As much as I didn't like dealing with them, I could recognise that they had no choice, just as we didn't. We worked together  – or died.

"Well, thanks, I think. So, infesting Sarah. There's a couple of conditions."

_ "Name them." _

"Firstly, and most importantly, she needs to retain her mind, sanity and free-will. She's nothing without those."

_ "For the most part, that will be simple, and would, in fact, aid the process, greatly speeding it up. I had planned on a six-week period originally, but that would have included breaking and reforming her mind, as well as her body. But if she understands the necessity and agrees to it, then it will not be necessary, and that would be more beneficial for all. However, she will still be exposed to the influence of my creators. They may take an interest in her, and attempt to subvert her to their own purposes. I do not think they could take her completely, but they may be able to affect her sufficiently to make an alliance difficult." _

To be honest, I had been expecting such an answer. While I would make it clear to Sarah, I did believe that it was a risk that was going to have to be borne, though I didn't care for it one bit, and with luck, we did have a counter to that particular risk at least planned, if not available yet.

"I wondered if that might be a possibility. I'll pass that info onto her, but there are a couple of other things that I would insist on."

_ "I am listening." _

"I would insist on us staying with Sarah throughout, and she leaves with us."

_ "You would have a Zerg on your ship willingly?" _

"No, I would always have Sarah Kerrigan on my ship. Zerg or not, she will be the same person that I know and care about, if we have anything to do with it. You need us to work with the Zerg, if we're to win the fights ahead. What better way to start than that?"

The Overmind chuckled.  _ "Determined, are you not? I was intending to allow you access in any case, and you are quite correct, seeing her working with you, once people get over the initial shock, will likely help our cause." _

"As long as this doesn't all go sideways." Nova muttered. I had almost forgotten that she was there.

_ "That is true, Nova Terra, but then all plans have a degree of risk to them. It is a risk that will have to be acceptable, however, to both of us." _

"We'll see." Nova stood her ground.

I glanced at her, then continued. "If we're going to stay with Sarah while you infest her, then we're going to need to set up a base close by. I'll need to ensure that it can be set up without interference, and that, short of an engagement, safe conduct for everyone, both on the fleet and at the base."

_ "I think you can understand my concerns about having you with a major encampment so close to me. On this occasion, however, I will allow it, so long as you intend to defend us in the event of an assault, and not to attack us." _

"I'll defend Sarah, which will be enough, I think. She will likely be the target of any assault. I'm not crazy enough to pick a fight with an enemy right on their doorstep, while surrounded, so the only reason we would be fighting you is in self-defence."

_ "That will suffice. Anything else?" _

I glanced at Nova. I couldn't think of anything else myself, but she may have a suggestion for something I had missed. As it happened, she did.

"You stay out of everyone's mind, unless we need to talk to you."

I had to admit, it was a reasonable concern, and one that I probably should have mentioned, although I might have put it a little more diplomatically than that.

_ "That is possible, but I would have to ask how I would contact you, if I need to talk to you." _

"Send a Zergling to the base and have it constantly burrowing and unburrowing? I don't know, but most people, especially those who aren't psionics, tend not to like having their thoughts read, regardless of the reason. I imagine that it won't be any better knowing that it's you."

I frowned. Nova was being rather pushy and un-diplomatic, rather unlike her usual self. Perhaps our argument had taken more of a toll on her than I had guessed. Guilt was beginning to seep into my mind now. Pushing it aside for the moment, I focussed on the Overmind again.

"I probably wouldn't have put it quite like that, but she does make a good point."

The Overmind was contemplative.  _ "Perhaps it is best, then. Very well, it shall be as you say." _

I breathed a small sigh of relief. "We appreciate that."

_ "I imagine then that you will need to discuss this further with those with you." _

I nodded. "It would be for the best. But I think that you will have your answer, and soon. I'll let you know as soon as Sarah has decided."

_ "I would assume that, in the event of her agreeing, she would not want to do this immediately." _

"I think she'd appreciate some time to sort out a few things first, yes."

Nova had made it clear that she didn't want to talk as we headed back, and she went straight to the  _ Hyperion  _ as soon as we got there. Sarah had asked her to act as her maid of honour, while Tychus was obviously going to be best man for Jim. As for me, I had to brush up on the procedures involved in marrying people as a captain. While I had seen it done before, I had never actually officiated over one myself. Fortunately, the process was simple, without all the pomp that was usual with such things. Digging out my dress uniform, I turned to put on the insignia that had once belonged to the Mar Sara militia, only to find it missing. That was strange, considering I knew exactly where it was, and I hadn't touched it in weeks. As I searched, I heard a voice behind me.

"Looking for this?"

I hadn't heard Nova come in and turned to find her holding out the insignia. I took it slowly, more than a little confused about what she was doing.

"Thanks." I looked at her, stunned at her appearance. It seemed she had got ready on the  _ Hyperion _ , and she was incredible. I hadn't seen her in a dress since I had been with the Terras, and was highly appreciative of how she wore the red, silk dress that she now had. If her Ghost suit had shown off her figure, this dress, while less form-fitting, left enough visible to make my imagination run wild, although it was still very modest. Right now, though, I was more concerned with how she was feeling.

"You look incredible." I said quietly.

She smiled slightly. "Glad you like it. I had to borrow it from one of the navigators on the  _ Hyperion." _

I began to speak. "Nova-"

She stopped me, placing a finger on my lips. "Right now, I don't want to talk about it. OK?"

I sighed, knowing better than to push my luck at that point. "All right."

She smiled and moved away. "We do have a wedding to get to."

"Yeah."

"I'll see you there." Without another word, she turned and walked out. I shook my head. Dealing with this was becoming more and more urgent, but I knew it was going to have to wait. Fastening the insignia in its proper place, I headed for the  _ Hyperion. _

Alone with my thoughts, I walked out towards the airlock. We had connected the ships with docking tunnels, to avoid having to go outside. Matt was waiting for me as I boarded.

"Good to see you, sir. Nova was just ahead of you; Sarah was asking for her."

"Thank, Matt."

Matt and I continued towards the living quarters, where Jim was currently getting prepared. I had to admit, I was curious to see exactly how he was, nerves had to be setting in for him.

We entered the quarters to find Tychus currently chuckling, and Jim glowing red. I raised an eyebrow.

"Must be something good, to get Jim embarrassed." I commented.

"Don't you start." Jim groaned.

I grinned. "You should pick your friends a bit better then. We only get one chance like this to have some fun with you, and we don't even get to give you a buck's night. So, this will have to do."

"Told you we'd get along fine." Tychus laughed.

"So, do I want to know what's going on? Or should we make sure we all live through the next hour?"

"Next hour?" Tychus asked.

"You want to explain to Sarah why her fiance is late to his own wedding? Because I sure don't."

As I had expected, the mention of Sarah had Tychus ducking for cover. One of these days, I was going to get an answer about exactly what the story was there.

"You have a point. I'm damned if I'm getting involved in that one."

"Best make sure we get him there on time, then. Come on, cut him some slack."

To his credit, Tychus backed off, while Jim took a moment to compose himself.

"Hard to believe this is actually happening."

"Remind me, what about our lives has been exactly normal over the last few months?" I replied. "Come on, hotshot. Let's stop mucking around and make sure you get there in time."

Over the course of the next hour, we managed to get everyone into something approaching formal dress. Relatively easy for Matt and Jim, there were used to having to deal with events like this, and so they cleaned up well. Tychus, however, was more difficult. Given his history, I couldn't really blame him for being a little ill at ease, but I was rather keen to get moving, and Jim was determined for him not to let the side down. In the end, we finally managed to get him into something approaching respectable, and to the point where he was likely to behave. I didn't even have to mention Sarah again.

As we finished, there was a knock on the door, but I could tell who it was straight away.

"Come in, Nova."

She stuck her head around the door. "You boys all ready?"

"Ready as we're going to be." Jim replied, still a little nervous.

"You'll be fine." I replied.

Nova grinned. "You're not going out to face a Zerg brood on your own, you're getting married. I'll see you boys there."

As the door closed, Matt commented. "That's an interesting way to put it."

"Still, rather accurate though." I replied. "Let's get moving."

As we walked through the corridors to the briefing room where we were holding the wedding, I noticed that there were a lot more people around than I had expected. Matt caught my glance.

"Once word got out that we weren't going to be killed as soon as we landed, a few more ships decided to come down, just in case."

"Fair enough." I thought that at least part of the reason was to come for the wedding, or at least the celebrations afterwards, but I didn't mention it. Jim was nervous enough as it was. Finally, we reached the briefing room, and I had to say, whoever had decorated it had outdone themselves. The place was completely unrecognisable, with floral displays in various places, and everything arranged to look more like a church than a utilitarian room. I whistled.

"Who set this up?"

"Who do you think?" Jim asked, before pointedly looking at Matt.

"A man of many talents, I see." I smiled.

"I can't take all the credit, sir. I had some help from your old co-pilot. She's a lot better with artistic touches than I am."

"Ros? Doesn't surprise me. I'll have to talk to her at some point and thank her. But a damn nice job."

"Glad you like it, sir. I just hope that Sarah approves."

"She will, I'd bet on it." Jim commented, looking around approvingly.

I grinned, glancing at my watch. "Well, it's nearly time, everyone. Better take your places."

Over the next half-hour, the room began to fill, roughly split evenly between Terrans and Protoss. It had been something of an open invitation to everyone, and Sarah was respected among the Protoss, after holding the line with them at New Gettysburg. Finally, the room was full. Jim was waiting, still somewhat nervous, in the traditional place at the top of the aisle, Tychus beside him.

_ "She's coming." _ Nova informed me.

I nodded at Jim, and then Matt, who I was stunned to discover, was actually quite an accomplished musician. He swiftly began to play, as everyone rose. At the far end of the room, the doors opened, to reveal Tassadar and Sarah beginning their walk down the aisle, with Nova and Selendis behind them. All of them cleaned up well, especially Nova, but I don't think that anyone had eyes for anyone other than Sarah. Where she had managed to get the white dress from, I had no idea, but the last six hours had made her utterly radiant. I had known that Jim was an incredibly lucky man before, but now everyone else in the room could see that very clearly.

As Sarah and her companions reached us and took their places, Matt finished, and everyone took their seats. I smiled, glancing between the two friends I had come to love so dearly.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to bring together this man and this woman before this congregation. If anyone has any reason why these two should not be married, come forward now."

Silence echoed around the room. I continued, glancing towards Tychus as Jim and Sarah turned to face each other.

"Very well. Jim Eugene Raynor, do you take this woman to be your wife? To love and cherish, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

Tychus handed Jim a ring, then gave the other to Nova. I didn't recognise the design, but I was fairly sure that they were Protoss in origin.

"I do." Jim vowed proudly, sliding the ring onto Sarah's finger.

"Sarah Louise Kerrigan, do you take this man to be your husband? To love and cherish, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

Sarah, having received the ring from Nova, slid it onto Jim's finger as she replied, emotion filling her voice.

"I do."

I smiled, as the pair turned to face me once more.

"Jim, Sarah. You have both taken your vows in the presence of this congregation, declaring your love for each other. It is my pleasure to declare you, husband and wife together."

I paused, grinning at the pair.

"You may kiss the bride."

I smiled, and the entire room rose in applause, as the pair kissed passionately, taking this moment simply for themselves. They had come so far together; it was healing to see them both so happy. At that point, it felt like nothing could go wrong, and all was right with the universe.

Well, almost all was right.


	32. From the Highest of Highs

As the newly-weds broke apart, everyone broke away from their positions and surrounded them, offering the couple their congratulations. As everyone finished up, I was finally able to make my way to them.

"Look at you two." I grinned. "Not a care in the world. It's great to see you so happy."

Sarah practically glowed. "Thank you, Jason. For everything you've done for us."

I grinned. "Really, I haven't done much at all."

"Much at all?" Sarah asked. "What about stopping the Zerg from taking me at Tarsonis?"

"Stopping Sarah from killing me at Antiga Prime?" Jim put in.

"Locking us in the same room until we sorted out our issues?"

"Rescuing Sarah  _ again _ ?"

"Stopping Jim from starting a fight with Duke and Mengsk at the same time?"

"Pushing us together to work out exactly what we have?"

"Saving our butts on the battlefield so many times?"

I held up a hand. "OK, maybe I've done a thing or two. But really," I pulled the couple in for a tight hug, "Just knowing you both is enough of a reward." I gestured towards the door. "Come on. We've got a party to get to."

As we walked into the cantina, it was obvious that Matt and Ros had been set loose here too. The place was practically unrecognisable, completely redecorated and looking far classier than was usual. It was already packed with guests and the bar was doing a brisk trade. A cheer went up as we entered. For a moment, no one could hear anything beside the mingled congratulations that were being shouted Jim and Sarah's way. Seeing Matt beside the jukebox, evidently with a song cued up, I gave him a nod. It was time for the party to start.

Leaning over towards Jim, I pointed him towards the dance floor that had been set up.

"Go enjoy yourself, hotshot. I'll catch up with you two later."

With a smug grin, Jim led Sarah out and began to dance. Much to my surprise, both proved to be quite good. Evidently there was a story there which I was going to have to get to the bottom of. Right now, though, I needed a drink. Making my way through the crowd, I managed to get the attention of the barkeeper, Cooper. Without a word, he slid my usual drink over to me, before turning back to deal with the rest of the horde. Glancing around, I saw Ros leaning against the wall and wandered over to join her. She gave a small nod as I approached.

"Hell of a party, Jason."

"You're telling me. Matt told me you gave him a hand setting all this up. I should have known; you always did have style. Damn nice job."

She chuckled. "Honestly, after what we've been up to, this was a holiday. Nice to use some other talents every once in a while." She looked at me seriously. "So, what's up?"

"What do you mean?" I dodged.

"Come on, Jason. How long have we been working together? Seven years, on and off? I know you well enough to recognise when you're out of sorts."

I snorted. "Fair bit on my plate right now, Ros."

"Yeah. Never thought we'd be talking with the Zerg, but after everything else you've pulled, I shouldn't be surprised. But I am, especially that you even considered the idea of talking to them." Her eyes locked on, interrogating me. "You know something."

"I know a lot of things."

"Perhaps, but you've been playing things close to your chest. You were already keeping things close before Tarsonis, but now? You're damn near impossible to read. You're up to something."

I took a moment to look at Ros. Her slim build and good looks concealed a hidden strength, both physical and mental. She looked the part of a blond-haired seductress, but she was strong enough to go toe to toe with nearly anyone in the room, including monsters like Tychus. But a sharp mind and intelligence was also concealed within her, and I knew better than to continue to try and divert her.

"Yeah, I am." I conceded. "I'm having to make a lot of tough choices, and not liking it one bit."

She could see there was more to it than that but was smart enough not to push there and then. The stare she directed at me, however, told me that she would be coming back to this at a later date, and she'd expect a lot more detailed answer. She didn't say it, but she didn't need to either.

Changing the subject, she commented, "I thought you would have been with Nova. You two have always been close, and since we picked her up, you've got a lot closer, by all accounts."

I grimaced. "Yeah, a couple of things to sort out there."

"Trouble in paradise?" She looked sympathetic.

"A little." I admitted.

"What did you do?"

"I love how people assume that I did something. On this occasion, you're probably right though." I went through and told her what had happened briefly.

"You know the best thing you can do right now?" Ros asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "Aside from apologising?"

"It's a party." Ros replied, mischief twinkling in her eyes.

I snorted as her meaning hit me. I really should have seen that coming.

"All right. If I can get hold of her long enough, I will."

"Good. You'll thank me later."

"You'll have to add it to my tab."

She laughed. "In the meantime, I'm going to have another drink, then get out on the dance floor. Maybe grab a partner as well." She looked across the room. I followed her gaze, which arrived at Tychus. I blinked in astonishment.

"You know his reputation, right?"

She grinned salaciously. "I'm counting on it. Besides, he looks lonely, and a bit nervous. Do us both good."

"Just be careful, OK. He's rather forward, by all accounts. I'm pretty sure he's already had a run-in with Sarah, though I still need to get the story behind it."

"Brave man." Ros commented. "There aren't many that would risk approaching her. Still, he's dangerous, and right now, that's what I'm looking for."

I chuckled. "Good luck."

Watching Ros walk away, I was about to go and find Nova, when Selendis approached me.

_ "This is what you do after a wedding?" _ She looked slightly disbelieving at the scene around us.

I shrugged. "It varies, but yes, this is a fairly common theme."

_ "Interesting. It is certainly more active than our usual celebrations." _

"Well, there's a lot more going on here than just a wedding. I think most people here have at least some idea of what's going to happen soon. They've already been through a very rough time, and they know things are going to get worse before they get better. May as well take some time to unwind and relax before they start walking into hell again."

_ "An intriguing idea. Perhaps we should take note of it for our celebrations in the future. Of course, the Conclave will not like it one bit." _

I raised an eyebrow. "I've never heard that much about the Conclave, but I haven't been that impressed with what I have heard. What are they like?"

Selendis hesitated.  _ "They have overseen Protoss society for many thousands of years. They have defended us against all threats and safeguarded our lives. We have prospered under their guidance." _

My eyes narrowed. "That sounded an awful lot like a propaganda speech for them. Is that really what you think?"

Her shoulders slumped.  _ "Even before this campaign, I would not have exactly counted myself as one of their strongest supporters. The Conclave is rather dominated by males and has an objection to seeing females in positions of power." _

"That sounds rather familiar. We've been struggling with the same problems up to this day."

_ "Indeed. But Tassadar's trust in me, against their direct instructions, has changed much. I have a chance to be recognised as an equal, something the Conclave would never allow. They have a very fixed view of things. If we faced any other threat, I would believe they would be up to the task of defeating it, but I fear they will treat the Zerg like the other foes that we have faced." _

"You think they will underestimate the danger they pose?"

_ "Greatly. I do not think this is a foe that the Protoss can face alone. We need allies in this fight, and we were fortunate that you were willing to consider that idea as well. But I do not think the Conclave will accept this easily. They are very prideful, and demand complete obedience from all. The majority are very willing to comply  _ – _ after all, we have grown strong, in part thanks to them. But Tassadar's refusal to purify Tarsonis was not received well, which is why we were exiled. We remain Protoss, even if we are not accepted as such by our kin. If we ever come to Aiur, I would prepare for a frosty reception." _

"Frosty as in barely civil, or frosty as in staring down gun barrels?"

_ "Who can tell? But I think that we may have to return, regardless of what reception we might find." _

"You think the Zerg will attack Aiur?"

Even though no-one could hear our conversation, Selendis looked around carefully before answering.  _ "Tassadar told me that while the Overmind was showing him his vision, he could sense another part of it going through his mind. He was able to repel it, after a time, but he does not know what it may have learnt." _

I nodded in understanding "But if the Overmind has located Aiur..."

_ "Indeed. Our people are not prepared for an assault of the magnitude that the Zerg would unleash on them. We have had the advantage of battle experience against them and gained much knowledge from it. Many of our race's best warriors are also here. If the Zerg descended on Aiur, the planet would be almost defenceless." _

"So, we need to be ready to head to Aiur as soon as possible. Have you managed to get a warning to your people?"

_ "I was able to get a message to my teacher, giving him the bare facts. So long as the Conclave have allowed him to remain in his position, and do not impede him, he may be able to organise the defence of our home-world in time." _

"That's an awful lot of ifs. We'd better be ready to head that way quickly. Although us turning up with Sarah infested isn't going to do us any favours in the short term."

_ "But it will be necessary. If she remains herself in mind, then we will need her." _

"I agree. But we may have to wait until the Zerg attack in any case. The risk is too high, and the more we can delay the Zerg elsewhere, the better chance we'll have of stopping them at Aiur."

_ "I must concur. Still, I never expected to have any sympathy for the Dark Templar. Now that I find myself in their position and company, they are not as different to us as we had believed." _

I smiled at her. "So, you're not going to want to kill them on sight?"

_ "No. Tassadar told me of your discussion about them. He is at least partially in agreement with you, although he still intends to watch them carefully." _

"I'd be surprised if he didn't. What about you?"

If it was possible for a Protoss to look embarrassed, Selendis managed it.  _ "I was never all that convinced about them, but then, as I said, I was never a devoted follower of the Conclave. Meeting Zeratul, once I got over the initial shock and got to know him a little better, helped to cement my belief that the Conclave was wrong on that count, and your discussion with Tassadar sealed it." _

I looked at Selendis speculatively. If she was human, I might have almost said she was falling for him. Selendis must have either caught my thoughts or worked out what I was thinking another way.

_ "It is not what you think." _

"Isn't it?" I chuckled. "Strange, forbidden, different? The number of times I've seen a story start like that. Hell, Jim and Sarah started that way, and look at them now."

_ "There is nothing between us." _

"Not yet, but I think you would like there to be. You're protesting a little too much to be convincing."

Selendis looked contemplative and uneasy.  _ "Am I that easy for you to read?" _

"No, but I have been around for a while, for a Terran. I can pay attention to things."

_ "Then what do you suggest?" _

That threw me. "Just because I can spot the signs, it doesn't mean I can give advice on relationships. I'm about the last person you should come to for that, particularly given how much younger I am by comparison." Still, I pondered Selendis's problem. Finally, I came up with something. "About the best advice I can give you is this. Honesty is vital for any relationship to work, so take the time to get to know him. Be honest about yourself, and what you want. Take it slow, maybe just have a chat or a dance."

_ "A dance?" _

"Sure. You can tell a lot about someone from a dance. Ros is probably a better person to talk to than me about all this, but even I've managed to pick that up. Look at Jim and Sarah."

We both took a moment to look at the couple in question. They were simply moving quietly in time with the music, almost completely oblivious to everything around them.

"You see what I mean? We know what they're like in most situations, but they aren't like that here."

_ "No. They are far more relaxed, particularly Sarah. They look, well -" _

"Like a normal couple, nothing out of the ordinary. They don't have to be the Ghost and the Captain; they can just be Jim and Sarah."

_ "Yes."  _ Selendis nodded slowly.  _ "Then I may well take your advice. Thank you, Commander." _

After Selendis and I had finished our discussion, I spotted Nova sitting at a table, looking rather unsociable. I made my way over towards her, stopping only to pick up a couple of drinks from Cooper. She glanced up as I sat down, sliding one drink towards her. I didn't say anything, not particularly sure what I could say at this point. I guessed that our little discussion was part of her problem, but I wasn't sure if that was all of it.

Finally, Nova spoke.

"Funny, how much can change so quickly."

I raised an eyebrow but stayed silent. I knew Nova would get out what she was thinking sooner or later.

She looked up at me. "How many weeks has it been since we met again? Six, at most? Hard to think that then I was just worried about my social life then. Now, everything is on its head."

I was officially lost by this point. I certainly understood that Nova's life had been turned upside down, in no small part because of me, but I wasn't sure why she was bringing this up now. Obviously, she was listening because the look she shot me was easy to read. I elected to let her finish.

"I'm becoming something I never expected." She said quietly.

I'd had enough of her being so crestfallen. "You really worried about what's happened to you?"

Nova looked at me. "Everyone here, they're celebrating. Even Jim and Sarah. But Sarah is going to be infested within the next couple of days, in no small part because of us, and everyone is just ignoring it, because it's necessary."

It clicked then. Nova felt guilty about what Sarah faced, as well as our roles in getting her to this point, and despite the fact that she was trying to rationalise it as necessary, the guilt was eating at her. I could definitely appreciate the problem she was grappling with.

"I'll bet you could." Nova replied to my thought. "But-"

"But I've had the experience of making the hard decisions, weighing up risks and costs against the result. You've been thrown in at the deep end, in more ways than one." I finally said. "I must admit, I was a little intrigued at Jim's timing, but that's a separate matter. The fact that you're grappling with this proves you're a good person. Only a cold-hearted bastard wouldn't be concerned."

"Maybe. But I'm worried that if this keeps happening, I'm going to change into someone I don't recognise. I've already become a soldier, and that's enough to handle. But I'm starting to think that I'm not ready for this."

"You know one thing I do about responsibilities, Nova?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"Those who seek power are usually the worst at dealing with the responsibilities that come with it, and the worst to wield it for those around them. It's those that don't seek that power, that don't want it but are forced into it, that deal with it best. Principles are the most important thing for anyone to have; without them, we're animals. Part of the cost that goes with it is continually second-guessing yourself, wondering whether you got it right. That's not a weakness  – only an arrogant fool thinks they always have it right. You're growing, Nova, not just as a soldier, but as a person." I grimaced but continued. "It's well past time I realised that."

She blinked, before a slight smile crossed her face. "How do you know exactly what I need to hear?"

I smiled. "Experience. Doesn't stop me from making mistakes though. I shouldn't have tried to stop you seeing that vision."

"I shouldn't have compared you to Mengsk, so we both work out about even there."

"I shouldn't have over-reacted like that."

"I shouldn't have said it in the first place."

I grinned. "So, we both made mistakes, and we both know we're wrong. So, can you forgive me?"

She leaned in close. "Only if you forgive me."

I grinned and kissed her. "Already done." I whispered back.

She leaned back, smiling broadly. "Well, it would be wrong not to enjoy ourselves right now. Regardless of what comes after, that is something we need to do."

I nodded. "Don't forget it, by any means, but we can't dwell on it either. We won't know if it's the right choice or not for a long time, I think. All we can do is play it out, and hope for the best."

"Sounds like a plan. Can you give me a moment?" Nova asked, standing.

"Naturally. I'll be right here."

She grinned, then disappeared into the crowd. As she left, I saw Tychus wandering over, although Ros was nowhere to be seen. I nodded towards him.

"Having a good time, Tychus?"

He groaned slightly, holding his drink unsteadily. "Damn, this is not something I planned on."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"That sexy little friend of yours. You never told me she was such a devil."

"Hey, I told you that everyone here was a fighter, remember? What did she do?"

Tychus sat down heavily. "Decided I needed dancing lessons. Do I look like I can dance?"

"Well, you don't look like you can shoot a bullseye at two clicks, either. Maybe she figured you were a man of many talents."

"Huh. Well, she sure got that wrong. And so did you."

I frowned. "Me?"

He muttered so quietly; I could barely hear him. "I can't shoot that well."

My eyes narrowed. It was obvious he'd had something to drink, but he didn't look that drunk. "I'm sorry?"

He glanced at me but couldn't keep his gaze on me. "The rifle was rigged. Got it made especially to auto-track those targets. A little bet I had with one of the ladies in engineering. She didn't think I stood a chance of beating you, even with that rifle."

My eyes widened. I did remember Tychus being rather determined to face off against me, and being surprised by his choice of weapon, but I had never expected this. "You cheated."

"Yeah. I was going to tell you after I won, but you put paid to that."

I couldn't help it, I laughed. "So, let me get this straight. You challenged me to a shooting competition, with a rigged rifle, because of a bet? It didn't occur to you that maybe you were being set up?"

Tychus groaned. "I just thought I could make some quick money off some easy marks, plus have some fun at the same time."

I was struggling to stop laughing by this point. Finally, I got myself under control. "Thanks, Tychus, I needed that. Still, I'm surprised you took the bait. So, which engineer did you bet against?"

"I daren't say. You'd pick her straight away if I told you any more, and she didn't want that."

"What, afraid of me? I'd be congratulating her, just like I'd have to congratulate you."

"Me?" Tychus looked stunned.

"It's not often someone can pull off a stunt like that on me and get away with it. That takes skill, and I didn't know you were that good a conman."

Tychus began to look a little relieved; evidently, he'd been worried about my reaction too. "I may have picked up a trick or two while I was running with Jimmy."

I shook my head in disbelief. "I should have seen this coming. Nice one, Tychus. So, what made you decide to tell me?"

"Ros. She'd found out what was going on. She's, ah, very persuasive."

I looked over, seeing Ros standing across the room, talking to Nova. Both were looking at me, each wearing a smug grin. I sighed. "So, who else was in on this?"

"Jimmy, of course. He always liked his jokes. Sarah found out what we had in mind while you were away. She gave me a demonstration of her shooting skills."

I raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"She pinned me down with her psionics and lit my cigar with her rifle with a single shot, before shooting the damn thing out of my mouth. Jimmy managed to talk her down, and convince her to join in, just for a laugh."

"Hmm. Have to wonder who she was laughing at. So that's why you've been nervous around her."

"You noticed that did you?"

"Was hard to miss. I assumed that you'd ignored my advice."

He snorted. "Even I'm not that crazy. Ain't no way I was going up against Jimmy and Sarah together."

I smiled and raised my glass to Tychus. "I'm going to have to come up with something creative to get even with everyone. I'm looking forward to the challenge."

"Now, I'm getting worried."

"Well, you were set up as well as me. Feel like teaming up for this?"

Tychus brightened. "Oh, hell yes. Bit of payback would be damn sweet."

"Well, keep that mind working. I'm going to be busy for a while, so you'll have to have some ideas too."

"Count on it." Tychus stood, as Nova and Ros made their way back over. I turned to them. "So, you two know what's going on. You in on this little game as well?"

Ros chuckled. "No, I only found out because Matt let something slip while we were getting all this set up."

Nova added, "You really think I could have slipped this past you?"

I studied her but knew the truth of her words. Leaning back, I smiled. "Looks like we have a hobby then."

Ros raised an eyebrow. "Getting even, are we?"

I shrugged. "You need to be able to take it as well as you dish it out."

She chuckled, along with Nova. "Count us in, then. I'm going to enjoy seeing what you come up with. In the meantime, I'm going to have to steal Tychus away again." Over his complaints, Ros led Tychus out onto the dance floor again. I turned to Nova, standing.

"Will you dance with me, Miss Terra?"

She grinned. "I thought you'd never ask. Although I didn't know you could dance."

I grinned as I led her out onto the floor. "Despite my best efforts, I was never able to dodge enough of the formal dinners and dances to get out of dancing lessons, and I spent enough time in clubs during shore leave to pick up a couple of things."

"Hmm. I'll be the judge of that." She turned to face me. The music playing at the moment was a slow, more romantic number, and there were a number of couples, Jim and Sarah included, simply enjoying the more intimate style. Moving into the rhythm, we found ourselves simply enjoying each other’s company. I hadn't managed to forget everything I had learned, and Nova had a natural talent, as well as instruction, so we didn't need to concentrate on dancing, just each other, idly exchanging thoughts and revelling in each other, particularly the fact that we didn't have an issue hanging between us.

When we began to take notice of our surroundings again, I noticed Jim and Sarah dancing close by, although I could hear Jim muttering about wondering if it would be rude to leave the party. I chuckled as we swung in close.

"Bluntly, I think everyone is surprised you haven't taken off already." I winked at the pair going bright red. Nova laughed as well.

"Go on, get out of here." She advised. "Much more and you'll be giving everyone a show."

I thought they had been embarrassed before; turns out I was wrong. I grinned. "Everyone's concentrating on each other, it's your best chance to slip out."

Jim managed to get himself together first. "Might take your advice then, Jason."

I chuckled. "No early start for you two, either. Get out of here, and that's an order."

I didn't wait for their response, pulling Nova away. As we moved off, I could see Tychus and Ros dancing, Tychus doing rather well, much to my surprise. The guy had more than a few talents, it seemed. Ros caught me looking and winked, plainly enjoying herself. I grinned back, privately admitting that she had been right, on more than one count.

"Isn't that Selendis and Zeratul over there?" Nova commented.

Turning, I could see the pair dancing with the grace that all Protoss seemed to possess. Both surprisingly looked fairly comfortable, but then I hadn't noticed how long they had been dancing for.

"Sure looks like it. Selendis found her nerve, then."

Nova looked at me. "You had something to do with this?"

I shrugged. "We had a long talk before I managed to find you. A few things came up; this being one of them. Not sure how I ended up playing this kind of role, though."

Nova chuckled and stayed close. "Jason Davis, matchmaker. Sounds like you should go into business."

"No, thanks. Really not my area." I looked at her. "I'm thinking that we should follow our own advice."

Nova raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

I grinned in response. Her eyes twinkled mischievously, but then I had never really doubted that she would agree. Quietly slipping out, we walked back through the empty corridors, hand in hand. As we got back to the  _ Liberator _ , Jess greeted us.

"Welcome back, Nova, Commander. How was the celebration?"

"It’s still in full swing, quite a party going on. Anything we need to worry about, Jess?"

"No, Commander. The Zerg have been quiet and all our forces have nothing to report."

"Good. Keep an eye on things, alert me if there's a problem. Otherwise, we're turning in."

"Very well. Good night."

With no more interruptions, Nova and I lost no time in returning to our quarters. The mischief in her eyes shone as she turned to face me. All issues aside, we could at last focus on each other once more. Nova turned out the light as she drew close. She had looked amazing in her dress, but I still thought she looked far better out of it, and I didn't waste time in confirming my opinion on that count. The smoothness of her skin, and soft strength of her body underneath, was far more appealing to me than any clothing. Despite all the worries and cares that we faced, the pair of us could take this moment to rest in each other's embrace and enjoy everything that we could offer each other.

Finally, we collapsed on the bed, worn out by our exertions. I smiled, looking at the woman in my arms. However, it had happened, I had been fortunate to find Nova. I hoped that I didn't ever forget just how lucky I was to have her. My mind peaceful, I drifted off to sleep.

As the morning greeted me, it appeared Nova had her own, highly inventive, thoughts on how I should be waking up. Not that I was complaining, mind you. She was certainly doing a good job in that regard.

"You're insatiable, you know." I commented, trying desperately to maintain a clear head.

Nova grinned, clearly enjoying herself, although she didn't stop what she was doing at all. It didn't take long for her to break down what defences I had, and soon I was doing my best to drive her crazy, always a difficult task.

Eventually, we both reached our limits and simply stayed close to each other, with her snuggled against my chest. I smiled, looking down at her.

"Good morning." I deadpanned.

She giggled, and leaned up to kiss me. "Good morning. Sleep well?"

"I was, until someone decided to wake me up."

"Oh, you loved it."

I laughed, pinning her against me. "Guilty as charged."

We lay there for a few moments, but eventually, we had to get up. After all, we were still in the middle of potentially the most dangerous place in the sector. As we were finishing, Jess activated her avatar.

"Good morning, Nova, Jason. Captains Kerrigan and Raynor have requested you to meet with them as soon as possible."

I glanced at the clock, surprised. Jim and Sarah were up earlier than I had expected. I was sure that this didn't bode well for the day ahead. Nova's concern echoed my own across our bond.

"Tell them we'll be in the tac room in ten minutes." I replied. Nova moved up beside me.

"Why do I have a really bad feeling about this?" She asked.

"Because you have good instincts." I said bluntly.

The pair of us wasted no time in getting ready, and we were soon in the tac room. Both Jim and Sarah were waiting for us.

"I seem to recall giving you both orders not to be up early." I said. "Something about it being your wedding night last night."

"You did, and before you ask, it was wonderful, thanks Jason." Jim replied, looking serious. My eyes narrowed.

"What's up, then?" Nova asked.

Sarah and Jim looked at each other, before turning back to me. "We need to do what we came here to do." Sarah said.

My eyes widened. "You want to do this now?"

"As much as I'd love to keep putting it off, if I keep waiting, I'll never do it. I'm already downright terrified about doing this, and it won't get any better if I keep waiting. Better to get this over with while my nerve is still holding."

I closed my eyes. Even though I knew it was necessary, I had hoped for more time, but it wasn't to be, it seemed. I looked at Jim. "You agree with this?"

He nodded grimly. "I like it about as much as you do, but we know this needs to be done. We've trusted you this far, if you think this can work, and Sarah can stay free, then we'll follow you."

I sighed, not wanting to do this, but knowing it had to be done. "When?"

"Right now." Sarah replied.

I nodded. "Suit up, then. We'll meet you in five."

Getting ready was a quiet affair, neither Nova nor I feeling much like talking. We reached the airlock, finding Jim and Sarah there and Tassadar, Selendis and Zeratul coming down the corridor. With no small amount of unease, I opened the airlock and began to head out towards the Overmind. Once again, we were not bothered by any of the Zerg, although we remained watchful. Finally, we stood before the Overmind once more.

_ "You have returned." _

"Yes." Sarah replied. "We have made our decision. Jason told me of the conditions that you and he agreed on. Under those conditions, I will do this."

I got the sense that the Overmind was focusing its full attention on Sarah, but she held firm.

_ "You have grown since last we met. More certain, prouder, more determined. Your love and courage have made you strong, stronger even than I expected. That is good, we will all need that in the years to come. Whatever it is that you have done, it was well advised." _

"Thank you, but my strength comes from those around me. Without them, I am a fraction of myself."

_ "Perhaps. If you are ready, then we will begin." _

"One moment." She turned to face us, a sad but determined expression on her face. "I know that none of you particularly like this. I can't say that I blame you, either. But you have all supported me in this, and I can never thank you enough for that."

One by one, she embraced us all. I was sure she was saying something to Nova and the Protoss, but I couldn't hear whatever it was she said. Finally, she stood in front of me. She pulled me in close, speaking mentally.

_ "Don't forget your promise." _ She said.

_ "Don't forget what I told you before. Never give up. Never give in." _

She smiled. " _ Keep everyone safe. Thank you, Jason. You and Jim, you've given me my life back." _

_ "My pleasure. But make sure you come back to us." _

She nodded and kissed me on the cheek. Turning away from me, she embraced Jim, but she still allowed me to hear their conversation, which surprised me.

_ "I don't have to do this, Jim."  _ Sarah said quietly.

_ "Yes, you do. We all do. Whatever it was you saw, Sarah, it terrified you, and you think you have a chance to stop it. You wouldn't ever forgive yourself if you turned your back on it now, and you wouldn't be the girl I love if you did." _ Jim replied.

_ "How do you manage to see so clearly?" _

_ "I've had a lot of practice. I love you, Sarah Kerrigan, and I will follow you to whatever end we face. Don't ever give up on us because we will never give up on you." _ Jim gently cupped Sarah's face, before kissing her.  _ "Now, if you are determined to do this, then do it. We will not leave you." _

_ "Jim, I-" _

_ "That wasn't up for discussion." _

_ "He's right." _ I put in, knowing that only Sarah could hear me.  _ "We don't abandon our own, and you're both like brother and sister to me. We're staying, Sarah."  _

Sarah nodded, before turning away and facing the Overmind, squaring her shoulders. "I'm ready."

Another Zerg emerged from behind the Overmind. Looking almost like a cross between a spider and centipede, but on steroids, it was one of the more unusual and less monstrous of the Zerg that I had encountered. It swiftly approached Sarah.

_ "Interesting. Powerful psionic power. Unusual in Terran specimens." _

_ "This is Abathur." _ The Overmind stated.  _ "He is the most skilled of my children at spinning sequences and is the best suited for helping you achieve your destiny."  _

If there was a Zerg equivalent of a mad scientist, then I was afraid that I was looking at it. I had more than a few concerns about this, and Sarah was suddenly looking a lot more nervous herself. But we never got a chance to raise any of them.

_ "Must proceed. Much time already wasted."  _ Without warning, Abathur grabbed Sarah, swiftly beginning to spin a cocoon of sorts around her.  _ "Must break bones, eat flesh, spin new sequences." _

My eyes widened as I realised exactly what he meant. Before I could say anything, a mental scream from Sarah overwhelmed us. The sheer force of it threw us back against the wall of the hive with incredible power. As I staggered back up, I heard her scream,  _ "Don't interfere, please! Let them do this!"  _ Then a second scream struck us, and I saw darkness.


	33. Falling off the cliff

As I returned to consciousness, I could feel Nova pressing against my mind, trying to get my attention. There was more than a little desperation in her thoughts.

_ "Jason?" _

I groaned. "I'm awake, Nova." Opening my eyes slowly, I saw Nova looking panicked, leaning over me. Her face morphed to relief as she saw me beginning to recover. Helping me sit up, she quickly examined me for injuries, and was happier when she found none.

"How long have I been out?" I asked.

"A few hours. Jim's still out cold, but the rest of us were able to shield ourselves enough to stay conscious."

Looking around, I could see that we were still where we had been, in the chamber that held the Overmind, and now Sarah. Speaking of Sarah, I couldn't see anything that looked like her, but where she had been, there now stood a massive, pulsating pillar of flesh. It didn't take much to realise where Sarah now was.

"What happened while I was out?" I asked.

"Not all that much, actually. That creature left about half an hour ago, saying that Sarah was ready. That cocoon he put her in morphed into that. She's asleep or unconscious now, but her mind still seems to be much the same, from what I can tell."

"That's probably good, but at this point, I'd expect that, if all has gone as we hoped." I walked up slowly to the chrysalis that now held one of my best friends within it. I knew that the screams I had heard from her would haunt me for the rest of my days, and I couldn't help but wonder if this was really the right choice. Whether it was or not, however, there was little that I could do now but to see it through. Turning back towards the Overmind, I stared at it. "How long is this likely to take?"

_ "As I said before, the process will be faster than I had originally planned. Still, I would expect at least a week before she will be ready to emerge." _

I nodded. "Then we will prepare our own defences, just in case. What about after she emerges?"

_ "We have discussed this." _

"We've discussed Sarah, yes. But not you, or us. If your plan is to work, then you need us to kill both you and your Cerebrates, in order for Sarah to take over the Swarm."

The Overmind was silent for a moment. _ "That is necessary, yes. I doubt that it will be a simple matter, however. Even if my master did not try to stop you, it would be difficult for us to just allow ourselves to be killed, and my Cerebrates have no idea about any of this. You must expect a fight when we come to that point." _

"Wonderful. We've still got an impossible battle ahead." My eyes narrowed, locking on to the Overmind. "You're taking this very lightly, all things considered."

_ "I have long since resigned myself to this. If I remain alive, then I will be responsible for the death of all, including my children. I would pay whatever price is necessary to ensure their survival, and I cannot free them without assistance. Of all the forces in the sector, I do not believe any longer that any assault that does not have you and your forces among the attackers could prevail against us in such a battle." _

"Nothing like a little pressure." I replied.

_ "I have every confidence that you would succeed. I do have one question for you, however." _

I raised an eyebrow. "What is that?"

_ "When I told all of you about the necessity of infesting Kerrigan, you did not seem particularly surprised. I also realised that you were bluffing about killing her, not just because of your connection with her, but the fact that you knew this needed to happen, before you came to Char. How could you possibly have had that knowledge?" _

I was extremely glad at that instant that Nova's wits were very much in evidence, and that I still had the Queen as backup. The pair of them swiftly blockaded my mind from any outside force, except for the pair of them. If the Overmind had managed to search my mind, and discover what I knew, it could easily have been disastrous. My face went somewhat hard.

"I understand why you ask that, but I cannot give you an answer, for the same reason I haven't discussed it with Sarah. If I told you, then what knowledge we have would eventually fall into the hands of our enemy. Neither you nor her would be able to prevent it. We're all safer this way. I hope you can understand that."

I could see the Overmind was more than a little agitated by my reply, or possibly the fact that it had sensed the sudden blockade around my mind. I also felt more than a little guilty about my refusal to reply. The Overmind had answered all the questions we'd thrown at it without any kind of hesitation, and I wasn't giving it the same openness in return. Either way, however, I was not willingly going to budge from that position. I had decided on that course of action at Antiga Prime, and I was sticking to it.

Finally, the Overmind replied,  _ "I do not particularly appreciate your answer, or the attitude of your companions. However, I can see that you have your reasons, and they are likely good enough for me to not probe further. But I hope you know what you are doing." _

He wasn't the only one. I nodded slightly. "Thank you. If there was a way, I would tell you, I think. But I just don't believe we can take the risk."

I laid my hand carefully on the chrysalis containing Sarah, pressing gently against where her face would be. I could feel something pushing back slightly, that was plainly not the chrysalis itself, although it was barely noticeable. I smiled, realising that Sarah was, in some way, awake and aware of my presence and actions. Turning back to the Overmind, I inclined my head slightly. "If there is nothing else, then I'd better begin establishing our own defences. We've still got a lot to do."

_ "Of course, Commander." _

Selendis spoke up at this point.  _ "I will remain for the moment, unless there is a problem with that." _

I shook my head. "I'd appreciate that. I'd stay if I didn't have to make sure we were ready for anything that comes our way.

_ "I too will remain," _ Zeratul added.  _ "I do not feel that one is enough for this." _

I nodded, although I rather felt that Zeratul had his own reasons for staying, and they weren't completely related to the Zerg, or to Sarah. Either way, however, he was right. Bending down, I picked up Jim, who had yet to wake up, with Tassadar and Nova’s psionic assistance. With a final nod to the Overmind, and the two Protoss, I turned and left the chamber, the others following.

As we reached the rest of our forces, Matt came out to meet us. "What's going on?" He noticed Jim. "What happened?"

"Sarah decided not to put off the inevitable." I said quietly.

Matt's eyes widened. "So that scream a few hours ago was hers."

I was surprised. We were encamped at least a few kilometres from the Overmind. For her scream to have reached this far, and still have enough power for a non-psionic to hear it, it made me wonder just how far it might have reached.

"Yeah. If you guys heard it here, then I think you've got a good idea how it felt to us at close range."

Matt winced. "So that's why Jim's out cold."

I nodded. "Yeah. I know you probably don't like this situation one bit, Matt. I'm not too keen on it myself. But the choice was Sarah's, and I respect her enough not to argue with her.

"As long as we don't end up regretting it, I can understand that, sir. What are we doing now?"

"Since we have permission to set up a base, we're going to do exactly that. Let's get ground forces down here, I want proper defensive positions established within the next few hours. Make sure those new tanks get down here too. If we need to defend, and I suspect that we will, I want this place to be a fortress. There’s some nearby mining locations that are better defensive positions as well. They might be a bit further away, but the distance is manageable, and I want to be able to hold out against anything that comes our way. Let’s start expanding over there and shift the main command centre that way as well"

"Got it, sir." Matt saluted, quickly moving to coordinate with the rest of the fleet. I moved to my own communications console, opening a fleet-wide channel.

"Attention, all personnel. You are all aware that the Zerg intended to infest Captain Sarah Kerrigan. It is my duty to report to you that she made the decision to allow it to happen. It appears that there is a far greater threat than the Zerg facing us, and she can do more to oppose it from within the Swarm. This does not mean she has left us, nor does it mean that she is one of the Zerg's slaves. If the Zerg keep their word, and we’ve made every effort to ascertain that, then she should remain with her mind intact. During the process, it falls to us to ensure she is defended from any hostile action. Whether or not we agree with her decision, we must respect it and do our best to make sure it was the right one. Davis out."

I turned to everyone else present. "Let's get to work."

Over the next few hours, the area around us got rather hectic as everyone worked to establish a proper defensive line and expand our base to the new locations. A couple of hours into the chaos, Jim finally regained consciousness, and quickly discharged himself from the med bay to come and join us. I shook my head as I saw him enter.

"Shouldn't you still be resting?" I asked.

He shook his head. 'There's no way I'm staying there. Not with what Sarah's going through right now."

As much as I didn't like it, I knew that there was no way that Jim was going to allow anyone to keep him away. I nodded.

"All right. I could use your help to get the western quadrant’s defences up to scratch. Selendis and Zeratul are watching over Sarah at the moment. Once we've got everything established, then we'll relieve them, and you can head back. But I made it a rule that no one goes alone, and at least one psionic is always present."

"Fair enough." Jim left quickly. Tychus, who had been shadowing him, gave me a quick nod, before following.

As we continued to build up a base, Ryan walked in. I knew that she had come down from her ship to supervise her people, but I hadn't expected her to arrive and see me for a while. One look at her expression, and I beckoned her over to a quiet corner.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Was that Sarah screaming that I felt?" She asked quietly.

I blinked, utterly stunned. I knew Ryan wasn't in the least psionic, and she had been in geostationary orbit at the time, tens of thousands of kilometres away.

"You felt that?" I asked.

"Felt it? It knocked half my crew flat. Every psionic I have is still out cold in the sick bay."

I went pale. Being able to hear Sarah's psionic scream was one thing, but for it to have such an effect at that range was something else entirely. Now I had to wonder exactly how far it had reached out. This did not bode well for us.

"Yes, it was. But it had that effect on you, then-"

Ryan quickly caught up to my train of thought. "How far did it reach? You think we're going to have company?

"I always thought we wouldn't be lucky enough to escape without a fight. Now, I'm certain of it."

Ryan nodded grimly. "How long do we have?"

"Who knows? But we can't afford to assume that they aren't close."

"Then I'd better get back to my crew. If you're right, we may need everyone we have just to pull this off."

"I think we're going to need them regardless. Remember, the Zerg are still far from certain allies."

"How could we forget?" Ros asked, having wandered close enough to hear the last part of the conversation.

I turned to her. "All we can do now is get ready."

"The old 'hurry up and wait' routine, huh? Seems familiar."

"If you have a better idea, I'm listening. But those new tanks may give us an edge, if they're anything like what I remember from the original design."

"Have you seen them yet?" Ryan asked.

I shook my head. "No, but I'm seriously curious about them."

"Time to satisfy that, then." Nova walked up with Matt, joining the conversation. "They've just landed."

I grinned. "This should be good."

As we approached the transport ship, Jim and Tychus joined us.

"What's up, Jason?" Tychus asked.

I grinned. "Time to see something sweet. I think you're going to like this."

Jim raised an eyebrow. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

"Remember those projects that we talked with Butler about?" I asked.

Jim frowned for a second, then a small smile began to cross his face. As we approached the ship, the access door swung down, revealing the occupants of the bay. I had at least had an idea of what to expect, but even I was slightly taken aback at what I saw. The others were speechless.

A dozen of the  _ Temeraire- _ class battle tanks that Butler had told us about when we first met him sat in front of us. Three times the size of a standard siege tank, they differed in several ways as well, although aside from size, the most obvious change was the firepower. Each tank now boasted a trio of large turrets, two containing shock cannons fitted near the front of the tank  – but half as large again as the shock cannons usually fitted to the siege tanks  – and one massive, oversized version, above and behind them, that appeared to fire an energy charge rather than the conventional explosive round that was commonly used. I could also see a few small auto-cannon style weapons in small, fast turrets, obviously designed for anti-air and close combat work. But there were also a few other modifications that I did not recognise, or easily identify their purpose.

"Damn. How long have you had these?" Tychus asked, stunned.

"New design, they've been in the pipeline for a few months, but were only finished just before we got here."

"Those are sweet." Nova grinned.

I grinned back. "Let's see what we've got, shall we?"

Walking up towards the Sergeant that seemed to be directing everything, I waited for him to finish shouting orders. Noticing me, the man gave a hasty salute.

"Sorry, sir. Been a bit hectic lately. Sargent Daniel Meek, sir."

"Don't worry about it. What do you have for me?"

"Well, the Colonel tells me you've seen the original blue-prints."

I nodded. "I have, but no-one else here has, and it looks like they've been altered from those in any case."

The Sergeant nodded, pulling out a cigar, glancing at me for permission. I despised the things, but I knew that many others, including many military people, enjoyed smoking, so I mostly put up with it. I nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"Well, you can thank our new Protoss friends for that." He nodded over towards one of the tanks, where a pair of Protoss were supervising some kind of procedures. They glanced towards us, before turning back to their task.

"After some discussion, we made some changes to the design. You know the biggest problem with the siege tanks, sir?"

I snorted. "Which one? The lack of anti-air and close-range defence, or the need for other units to provide sighting on targets for them to be most useful?"

"Well, all of them, then. You've already seen our little auto-cannon set-up, I see. They're all computer controlled, so they can work together against various targets. Cuts down on the crew requirements, too."

"I was a little worried about that. Eight instead of four, from what I can see, and I can't imagine these things are cheap to build either."

He grimaced. "No, they aren't. A lot of the systems are rather specialised, particularly the Protoss additions. We haven't worked out a way to manufacture them on the field yet, so these are all you've got for the moment, sir."

"Hope there's a lot of spare parts then."

"Thankfully, a lot of those are standard siege tank parts, but we did bring some of the more specialised parts and crew to work on them."

"Good to know. What else have you done to them?"

"You're familiar with the Observers, sir?"

I nodded.

"Well, the Protoss engineers got together with our boys and worked out how to miniaturise them a bit. They don't stay cloaked forever now, but they still have the same range and sensors, for about a third the size, small enough for the tank to store several of them. They link their sensors in directly to the tank's systems, so it makes it easier to acquire targeting data. Still, something of a problem with the system, though."

I raised an eyebrow. "What kind of problem?"

He grinned. "The kind I think you'll be happy with, sir. There's enough of the drones in each tank to cover the range of the small cannons, but the main gun just has too much range for it to be feasible."

I frowned. "Too much range?"

He nodded. "The smaller cannons have about 25% more range than the standard shock cannons, so that's easy to cover. But the main gun is a line of sight weapon, sir. Partially based off the Yamato cannon, although it's scaled down a fair bit and there's some Protoss modifications there too. Essentially sir, it's designed for very long-range combat. It's actually classed as a surface-to-orbit weapon when in siege mode."

My eyes widened. Surface-to-orbit class weaponry had a standard range of around 50,000 km, as a minimum. While they were powerful and had long range, the downside was that they were massive, and unfeasible to relocate at all. For a weapon of that scale to be mobile was a major achievement, even if it meant that, for the most part, it would be useless in ground-based combat unless firing at a target it could see. Still, I could see its uses.

"I see what you mean. Presumably then, it can be used against large air targets."

"Oh, definitely, sir. Against capital ships, it would be quite a deadly weapon. Still, its anti-air capabilities aren't massive. The auto-cannons will keep a small fighter group busy, or take out some lone raiders, but against a group of scourge or massed air units? It won't be anywhere near enough."

"Fair enough. A siege tank on steroids was basically what I was expecting, and it seems like we've got that, plus some."

"Hell, yes. From what I hear, the engineers are still working on some modifications as well, to try and improve it further, since these are just the first prototypes."

Nova cracked a smile. "That could be something to see. If they can come up with these, it's going to be impressive what else they try to do with them."

"Maybe. Right now, though, I'll take what we have." I replied. "Let's get them out and set up. I want us to be ready for anything."

"Yes, sir!" The Sergeant turned back to oversee the preparations, while we simply got out of the way. Walking back towards the command centre, Tychus was the first to speak up.

"You sure ain't planning on messing around, are you?"

I shook my head. "If things go bad, we may end up being very thankful for that fire-power. We're up against the most powerful of the Terran factions, and this arrangement with the Zerg is not going to be permanent. We'll end up fighting them again, sooner or later."

_ "Not to mention that the Conclave is not likely to take kindly to what we have done." _ Tassadar put in as he joined us.

I grimaced. "There's that, too. Regardless, we're outnumbered and outgunned on all sides. We need as many tricks as we can get to even the scales up a little."

Jim blinked. "Not like you to be so pessimistic."

I shrugged. "Being encamped in the middle of a hostile force isn't exactly doing wonders for being optimistic."

"Sounds like you expect them to turn on us."

I nodded grimly. "The Overmind admitted that it was a possibility. I have no idea what will happen to Sarah in that case, but all we can do is hope."

Jim was silent for a moment. "Jason, I really don't like this."

"Nor do I." I turned to Matt. "How are we going with our preparations?"

"We're pretty well set up here, sir. Just getting the last of the defences into position. From here on, it's just reinforcing them."

"Good. Get that done, then get the  _ Hyperion  _ back into orbit. Take the fleet to the edge of the system and wait there."

Stunned expressions met my instructions. Nova found her voice first. "Are you mad? You don't want everyone you can down here?"

I shook my head. "If things go to hell and the Zerg turn on us, then we're going to need to leave in a hurry. We don't have the strength to destroy the Swarm. We can hold them back for a while, but that's it. If that comes to pass, then the less people we have to try and extract, the better. If it's the Dominion that comes here first, though, then we'll need to have an ace, and having the fleet ready to ambush them, if it's needed, is exactly that."

Ros looked thoughtful. "That puts us at risk of not being able to be extracted at all, Jason."

"I know, but it's a risk we'll need to take. Like I said, we can hold the Swarm back for a while, which should give us some time to come up with a better plan, if it's needed. I don't like having to rely on such methods, but we have little choice. Ros, I want you on the ground too. I'd send Jim with the  _ Hyperion _ , but there's no way he'd leave Sarah."

"You got that right." Jim growled.

I nodded. "So, if you want to go to her, now's probably the best chance you've got. We're pretty much as ready as we can be, all we can really do is wait and see who comes at us first."

"Got it."

"I'm goin' with ya, Jimmy. I don't know about you but wandering around here on my own gives me the creeps. Best we stick together, partner." Tychus put in.

"Good idea, Tychus." I nodded. "Stay safe."

The pair nodded, walking back towards where Sarah was currently undergoing her transformation. I turned to the rest. "Anyone have any better ideas for what we should be doing?"

No one did, not even Tassadar. I nodded grimly. "Right. Then we need to move fast. Matt, as soon as the last transports down here are unloaded, you take the  _ Hyperion  _ back up. An hour after that, I want us all as stealthy as we can reasonably be. It won't help against the Zerg, but I think we'll have more than them to worry about, and soon."

Whether or not everyone believed it was a good idea, we quickly found out that it had been. No more than a couple of hours after Matt had taken the fleet and we'd settled into our defensive positions, we picked up faint signals from the outskirts of the system, thankfully nowhere near where Matt and the fleet now waited. Jess was still working to decrypt the data, but I could make a good guess as to who was responsible for them.

"So, the Dominion decided to investigate, you think?" Nova asked.

"Good bet. It's definitely Terran signatures we're picking up, and more than a merc group's worth. I can't see any reason why the Kel-Morians or Umojans would come here, and even if they did, the force is too large for them. It has to be the Dominion."

"So, what's the plan?"

"Right now? Bunker down and hope we get lucky. They may concentrate their efforts on the other side of the planet, that is where all the original habitation here was, apparently."

"You don't want to fight them?"

"Short term, we may be siding with the Zerg, but it's not going to last forever. If we can get Sarah running the show, then different story, but until then we need to keep both eyes open. Mid-term, we need to try and forge the Terran factions into a cohesive whole, if we're to try and end this war, and fighting alongside the Zerg against the biggest of them won't help that. We won't get anywhere until we take out Mengsk, but still, we should try to not rock the boat too much. Long term, of course, we need absolutely everyone."

"So, we try and avoid a battle now, if we can."

Regrettably, the odds of that particular event plummeted dramatically as Jess finally managed to break the encryption. A very familiar voice came over the speakers, even though the signal was still very faint.

"All right, gentlemen. Our intel says there's something unusual out here, so keep your eyes peeled and your weapons hot. Cut the chatter, we don't want to spook anything."

_ Duke. _

I shook my head in disbelief. "You know, I didn't expect him to show his head again so soon. Mengsk must be desperate to have forgiven him that quickly."

Ros chuckled. "Doesn't really matter. He doesn't stand a chance here."

I nodded, somewhat unsettled. "No, he doesn't, does he?"

Ros turned, evidently hearing something in my voice. "What are you thinking?"

"Regardless of the fact that Mengsk is a manipulative bastard, Duke is simply arrogant and believes in following orders. He has ambition, and he does know how to lead from the front. He even has some skill."

"Your point?"

"My point is, is it right to simply let him and his men get slaughtered?"

Nova blinked. "You're thinking of helping him?"

"No, we can't do that. There's no way that, even together, we'd be able to repel the Swarm, even if everything went our way and we didn't have Sarah to consider. But we may be able to warn him. Give him just enough of an idea so that he's at least somewhat prepared or, better still, decides to withdraw."

"Alert." Jess suddenly interrupted. "New contacts detected, also identified as Terran Dominion signature. Transmissions are taking place between both forces."

"Put them up from the start." I ordered.

The first voice that came over the speakers was Duke's. "3rd Fleet, this is Alpha Squadron. We have you on our scanners. No confirmed sightings of enemy forces at this time."

"Roger that, Alpha Squadron. We'll link up with you in low orbit. Maintain full scanning," A second voice replied. My eyes widened. I hadn't heard that voice often, or for a while, but I certainly recognised it. This was going to complicate matters.

"Understood. Alpha Squadron out."

I snorted slightly. "Well, that just upped the stakes."

Ros glanced at me. "Was that who I thought it was?"

I nodded grimly. "Horace Warfield. Haven't run across him in a while."

Selendis had returned from the Overmind by now and spoke up.  _ "You know this Warfield?" _

"Yeah. He's an old friend of Mengsk's, they've worked and fought together for a while. He was never officially a part of the Sons of Korhal, but he was on their side for the majority of the war. Problem for us is, he's something of a tactical genius. About the only flaw he has is his confidence. He's sure of himself, and his men. Believes they can stand against anything. Vast majority of the time, he's right. He's definitely better than Duke when it comes to this sort of fight. I imagine this is Mengsk's way of punishing Duke for his failures, making him work with Warfield."

"Is he good enough to win this fight?" Nova asked.

"Against the entire Swarm, as well as us? Doubtful. He doesn't have enough firepower. If he's smart, he won't engage, but I'm not sure he'll realise that, or have the option too. If Mengsk's orders tell him to attack, he'll do it."

"So, he might lose the battle, but he could cause a lot of damage in the meantime."

"Especially if he picks up on what's happening to Sarah right now and decides to try and stop it." Ros added.

"So, where does that leave us?" Nova asked.

"For now, we watch, wait, and hope they don't pick up on Matt. If they get too close to us, then I might try talking to them and scare them off, but I don't like the odds."

"Nor do I." Nova replied. "But you're right. We're going to need them down the track, and I don't feel comfortable watching them get devastated."

"No. No one really deserves to get wiped out by the Zerg."

"We'll need them down the track?" Ros asked.

I winced slightly, as I remembered that I still had some explaining to do to satisfy Ros. "Later, when we're not looking like we're going to end up in the middle of a war."

"You've been saying that a lot."

"With good reason." I replied.

As we watched, I felt the Queen's presence.  _ "So, things are getting interesting, I see." _

_ "You could say that. This happened last time around?" _

_ "Not Warfield, but Duke and Jim both came. I was screaming loud enough for them to pick it up." _

_ "Hmm. Out of interest, did you ever meet up with Duke or Warfield after you were infested?" _

_ "A couple of times."  _ I could feel the sadness coming from her again.  _ "It didn't work out well for Duke. I thrashed him each time we faced off. The last time we met, I brought down his battlecruiser and found him in the wreckage. I sent him on to the next world. Eventually." _

I winced mentally. While I could tell she was remorseful for what she had done to most people, it was also plain to see that she wasn't completely sorry about Duke. Having said that, given what had been done to her, with Duke being, at the very least, a partial culprit, I couldn't completely blame her either.

_ "And Warfield?" _

_ "I didn't really meet him until Jim brought the artefact to Char. The Swarm brought his ship down fast, although Jim rescued him fairly quickly. He stayed on Char after the artefact was used on me, trying to wipe out the Zerg. After Mengsk took Jim, I went back to Char to reclaim what I could and ended up facing him all over again. He struck me as a better man than most Dominion commanders, and with better tactics, although none of it helped him much in the end. He was overrun and dying when I found him."  _ More than a little regret became evident in her mental voice.  _ "I might have been able to save him, but I wasn't thinking all that clearly, with Jim declared dead, and Warfield threw it in my face, asking what he'd think if he saw me. He'd asked me to spare his wounded men." _

_ "Did you?" _

_ "Yes, although he didn't live to see it. But I made it quick. He deserved that much." _

I was more than a little unhappy with this revelation. I knew both men, if not very well, then at least well enough to get a reasonable judge of their character. While Duke always gave the impression of an utter bastard, I knew enough about him to know that it was at least partially a result of his role as a member of the Old Families and their expectations. Duke had been struggling to meet these for years, despite his reasonable record. Under other circumstances, he might well have been a different person. Warfield, I had only met briefly, but I knew that he was the sort of officer I respected. He cared more about his men and their well-being than nearly any other commander I knew. He also was the type of commander that led from the front, something that always got my tick of approval. Were it not for the fact that he had long had a very close friendship with Mengsk, then I might have tried to bring him into our group. Regrettably, his loyalty to Mengsk was without question.

Focussing back on the immediate problem, the vague hints of a plan was beginning to form. "Jess, how long until they reach our position?"

"Both fleets will be on our position within the hour."

I nodded. "Is it still possible to get a message out to Matt without it being detected?"

"Yes, although the window is closing quickly."

"Send a text message to him. Instruct him to prepare for combat, but with non-lethal measures wherever possible. Instruct him not to reply in any way."

"Yes, Commander."

Nova looked at me. "Non-lethal?"

"If we can avoid killing them, I'd prefer it. If we can knock them out of the fight, then there's less chance the Zerg will see them as a threat."

Ros looked sceptical. "Awful long odds on that."

"Better than none at all, which is the alternative. Get the word out to everyone on the ground. I want us set up the same way as the fleet, as much as possible. We can use the  _ Stingrays’ _ batteries for this as well. I'd rather not use the  _ Temeraires _ just yet, so we'll hold them in reserve."

"You do realise that if they escape here, then they'll use what readings they take of us to convince everyone that we work with the Zerg." Nova pointed out.

"Which is why I want to talk to them first. We might be able to convince them to pull back without a fight, but we'll also have evidence to show that we did try to spare them. It won't matter a damn to the Dominion, but to everyone else, it might give us a fair hearing, if we need it."

"Still, a very long shot." Nova pointed out.

"Right now, I'll take what I can get."

Over the next half hour, we waited for Duke and Warfield to approach, while preparing for the likely battle. There were more than a few complaints about using non-lethal force, given how much of a grudge most had against the Dominion, even though it hadn't really been around that long. Fortunately, the Protoss understood my reasoning quickly, and they were able to do much more that we could under those particular conditions. Seeing them preparing to fight along the lines that I had requested managed to pull the rest of our force into line, as they were not about to let themselves be shown up. Finally, we were ready, which meant I had yet another impossible task to try and pull off.

"Jess, open a channel to the two Dominion fleets."

"Channel open, Commander."

I looked up at the view-screen. "General Duke, General Warfield, this is Commander Jason Davis. Please respond."

It did not take long for an answer to come. On the display, an image of each man swiftly assembled in front of me. Neither looked happy.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Duke snarled.

I held my ground. "At the start, it was a rescue mission. But right now, I'm trying to find a way to end this war."

"By siding with the Zerg?"

"Not exactly." I replied.

"Not exactly? You're either with them or against them, Davis. I didn't expect even the likes of you to sink this low!"

I managed to hold my temper back. "Believe me, Edmund, this isn't something I planned on, or something I wanted. But there was no real choice at this point."

"You-"

"Enough, General." Warfield finally spoke up, managing to quell Duke before he could go on another rant. He then directed his gaze back at me. "I doubt that you would simply make a social call, Commander. What do you want?"

"Right now, ironically enough, to stop you from getting yourselves killed."

"What?" Duke spat. Warfield's eyes narrowed.

"Do either of you have any idea exactly what you've walked into? This isn't just some planet that the Zerg have taken, this is their fortress. Base of operations, whatever you want to call it."

Both men paled slightly. I continued. "I don't know exactly why you're here, but I wouldn't risk coming any closer. Frankly, I'm stunned the Zerg have waited as long as they have."

For once, Duke had lost his bluster. Warfield, too, seemed shaken. "How exactly are you still alive, then? The Zerg aren't exactly known for taking prisoners and leaving them un-infested."

"At the moment? They need us, and they can't risk wiping us out. I had the advantage of knowing roughly what we were walking into, and I came prepared. We probably can't wipe them out completely, but we can give them one hell of a headache."

"So, why haven't you?"

"Partially because it would wipe us out too, but there is more to the Zerg than people realise."

"Meaning?"

"I know full well you won't believe this, but I'm going to say it anyway. From what I can gather, the Zerg have been enslaved by someone or something for centuries. They've been wound up and pointed at the Protoss, and it's been our bad luck that we were in the way. Their whole hive mind is their prison, and they've been trying to find a way to break out of it."

Duke's eyes narrowed. "And they succeeded. They wanted Kerrigan, didn't they?"

I focussed on him. "And exactly how do you know that?"

"Pretty obvious, really. Mengsk worked it out after your little raid on the Jacobs Installation. Didn't bother telling me until after Tarsonis."

So, there it was. Mengsk had known that the Zerg were after Sarah since before we split from him, even if he didn't know why. Yet, he still sent her down to New Gettysburg. Yet one more nail in his coffin, as far as I was concerned. Looking at Warfield, I could see that this was news to him. Duke was looking thoughtful.

"You turned Kerrigan over to them, didn't you?"

I winced. "No. She weighed the evidence and made her own choice. Do you really think that I'd simply betray her like that, after everything, Duke? I think you know me a bit better than that."

Before Duke could say anything, another voice came over the link.

"Generals, report your status."

_ Mengsk. _ Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

Duke, obviously activating his own link, replied, "Emperor, we're on approach to the planet Char. It does appear to be the source of the signals we detected, but our intel also indicates a major Zerg force is in place. This would appear to be their primary base of operations."

"That does not concern me, General. You should have more than enough forces to drive them back and achieve your mission."

Warfield and I exchanged a shocked glance before he opened his own link. "Sir, even if we were able to exactly locate the objective, I do not believe that we can breach the Zerg's lines with what we have. Even if we had the advantage of surprise, and that is impossible, they are too well entrenched."

"Did I not make myself clear, General? You have your orders, carry them out."

I closed my eyes. Mengsk's stupidity was incredible, and it was going to result in a lot of deaths. Duke cleared his throat.

"Yes, sir."

Warfield looked at me, almost with despair. "You're going to fight us too, aren't you?"

I nodded grimly. "Not because I want to, but if you're here to try and stop Kerrigan from doing this, then I can't step aside. Whether or not I agree with her choice, I will not turn my back on her, even if that means I fight alongside the Zerg. I wish there was another way, but it doesn't look like you have much room to be flexible."

I saw a look of respect in the eyes of both men, even if it was slightly grudging from Duke.

"Pity you left, Davis. It would have been good to fight with you." Warfield said calmly.

I snorted. "It was never the front-line soldiers or officers I had the problem with, either in the Confederates, or the Sons. The leadership was what I had issues with. The same ones, actually, come to think about it." I paused, then decided to continue. "For what it is worth, I'm going to pull my punches a little, if I can. With luck, once the Zerg don't see you as a threat, they'll give you a chance to retreat. I suggest you make the most of it."

Duke actually managed to smile. "I appreciate that, Davis. Guess we'll have to see who's better this time."

"Guess so."

I cut the connection, glancing at the tactical display. All around us, the Zerg were rising into the air, heading for the Dominion. Turning back to the others gathered around me, I already knew that they were within firing range. I gave a slow nod.

"Engage at will."


	34. It's not the times

Watching the tactical display, I saw the Zerg forces reach the Dominion fleet, engaging them in the way everyone expected, with overwhelming numbers. Innumerable mutalisks and scourge raced towards the terran ships, slamming into their lines. Almost at the same instant, the first broadsides of weapons fire that we had engaged with also reached the Dominion, namely the disruptor beams from the  _ Stingrays _ still on the ground. While certainly not as devastating as the Zerg fire, it did sow a degree of confusion into their forces. Shortly after, the missiles from the turrets and goliaths stationed planet-side also began to make their presence felt, although they were somewhat less effective that they might have otherwise been, due to the orders I had given to reduce their destructive capability.

Despite that, however, the Dominion fleets responded with a skill and speed that I hadn't expected. Withering laser fire from the numerous battlecruisers ripped through hundreds of the Zerg flyers, while missile impacts from the wraiths were almost continuous. For the moment, despite the intensive fire that they faced, the Dominion looked like it was going to be able to hold back the assault. My opinion of Duke and Warfield's combat skills went up a notch.

"That is pretty impressive." Nova commented.

I nodded. "They're holding together a lot better than I expected." As I watched, the battlecruisers moved into a tighter formation, with the wraiths swarming around the out-skirts of that formation. I nodded as I understood the plan.

"Smart. Get everyone close enough together, and the Zerg have to deal with overlapping shields, and overlapping firepower. Restricts their ability to manoeuvre, though, but right now, they'll need that less than anything else."

"They're doing more than that." Ros pointed out, indicating a segment of the display. "They're forcing the Zerg to obstruct our fire. We won't be able to engage much longer without running into friendly fire issues with the Zerg."

"Unless we call in Matt and the fleet." Nova rebutted.

I shook my head. "I don't want to do that right now. It's pretty clear that they aren't a threat to Sarah for the moment, so we're staying inside the lines of our agreement, just. Don't forget, the leviathans are yet to engage. The Dominion may be holding back the Zerg at the moment, but they aren't going to be able to move forward any-time soon, unless they do something special."

Evidently, I spoke too soon, because just as I finished, there were a number of flashes, and the number of Zerg falling out of the sky increased dramatically. Everyone leaned forward with interest, trying to work out exactly what had just happened.

"What the hell was that?" Ros asked.

I shook my head. "Not entirely sure. Those weren't Yamato Cannon or Nuke blasts. They almost looked like..."

I groaned as I realised what they'd done. I really should have expected it from Duke  – after all, he'd tried the same stunt on me.

Selendis turned to me.  _ "Those were shock cannon rounds, weren't they?" _

I nodded. "I think so. Jess, can we confirm that?"

Jess paused for a moment, then replied, "Yes, Commander. It would appear that a number of siege tanks have taken up positions in the forward hangar bays and are adding their own fire to the battle."

I watched the display, thoughtful. "What's the bet that they'll get some goliaths up to support them as well?"

Nova snorted. "That would be just like them, wouldn't it? Evidently, Duke took that lesson from Mengsk to heart."

"That, or Warfield's good at innovating."

"So, where does that leave us?" Ros asked.

I turned back to the display. "All units, cease fire."

Selendis looked at me.  _ "Is it not risky to not support our 'allies'?" _

"Riskier by far to shoot them by accident. I'd rather explain that to the Overmind later than deal with a pissed off Swarm right now."

"Fair point." Nova agreed.

As we watched, the Zerg reached a point where we could not see past them to the Dominion fleet. It was painfully obvious that the Dominion fleet was surrounded, and we could do little  –  or nothing  –  to aid them, even if we had the option to. I didn't expect the Dominion to last much longer. I soon discovered that I had badly underestimated them.

While we couldn't see the Dominion fleet itself, we could see that the Zerg were continuing to drop out of the sky at a steady rate, and that they were being steadily pushed back towards the planet. Against all odds, the Dominion forces were, in fact, managing to not only hold their own against the Zerg, but even pose a threat to them. So far, I had noted that the leviathans hadn't entered the battle, something that confused me greatly. Ros was evidently thinking along the same lines.

"Why aren't those leviathans joining the fight?"

Nova shrugged, evidently at a loss as well. Selendis inclined her head thoughtfully.

_ "Could it be that we have destroyed so many of them, that the Overmind is no longer willing to risk them in open combat?" _

I frowned, considering that idea. After all, we certainly had employed considerable force against the Zerg over the last six weeks, and more than a few leviathans had fallen to us.

"Growing organisms of that size must be very demanding in terms of time and resources, even for the Zerg. That may actually be the case."

"Be nice if it was." Ros muttered darkly.

As we watched, we could begin to see more weapons flashes through the Zerg flyers, and it was becoming clear that the Zerg were being pushed back. My opinion of the Dominion forces, and Warfield and Duke in particular, rose a couple of notches. The Zerg, despite their overwhelming numerical superiority, were proving to be little match for the sheer firepower being thrown at them. Still, I knew that the battle would be won on the ground, not in the air, and in that arena, the Zerg were likely to be a much tougher opponent. That was assuming that the Dominion could get a foothold on the surface. All of the nearby resource fields were currently occupied, either by the Zerg, or by us. An orbital strike was going to be vital to pulling that off, but I couldn't be sure how they were going to do it.

"Incoming message." Jess interrupted my thoughts. "Text only."

Surprised, I brought up the transmission, and my surprise only grew as I read its contents.

_ "Might want to stay indoors. Massively intense, but isolated and localised storms forecast for the surrounding area. The sky is about to fall." _

Glancing back at the screen, I could see that the Zerg had cleared slightly from in front of the Dominion, so it was a fair bet that the message had come from them. Warfield was the most likely sender since the message really wasn't Duke's style. The Zerg were still being beaten back from in front of the fleet. The message obviously hinted at an orbital assault at, I hoped, Zerg positions surrounding us, although I did hope they didn't plan to go after Sarah. But I still couldn't see exactly how they planned to break through. The only weapons they had capable of doing the required damage at such distances were Yamato Cannon and ship-launched nuke strikes. But neither were likely to have enough yield to clear an area before the Zerg reinforcements arrived. Looking at the others, they looked just as confused, until Nova's expression changed to one of utter horror.

"They wouldn't." She whispered.

I swiftly followed her train of thought.

Problem: The Dominion needed to clear a landing zone of enemies.

Solution: Use air and orbital assaults to clear such an area.

Issue: The Zerg presence was far too vast for such attacks to be timely and efficient.

Solution:  _ Use a bigger gun. _

As if on cue, Jess reported suddenly. "Alert. Multiple nuclear missile launches detected."

Turning back to the tactical display, I saw their projected impact zone, a massive resource cluster south-west of our position, and slightly further away from Sarah than our own base. Nova, it seemed, was right on the money.

"Yes, Nova. I think they would."

Regular nukes wouldn't make much of a dent in the Zerg. But  _ Apocalypse _ -class nuclear missiles most definitely would. As I looked closer at the display, I confirmed what I already suspected, that that was exactly what the Dominion had just launched. I spun to face everyone else.

"Get everyone away from the impact sites. I want a five click buffer between us and those missiles, right now."

No one argued. Every single human knew exactly what those missiles were capable of, and the Protoss had likely seen them in action too.

"Impact in five minutes." Jess reported and, despite being an AI, there was true fear in her voice.

"Get moving, now!"

The next few minutes were absolutely frantic. I could see the chaos outside, as well as on the tactical display. While we were all outside the official blast radius for the nukes, I knew that the accuracy of them was not exactly pin-point, and I had no desire for us to have anyone anywhere close to the target zones. We would still suffer from some of the side-effects, such as the EMP blast, but I'd take that over instant vaporisation any day of the week. We could handle the EMP, after a fashion.

As the missiles struck, one after another, the ground shook, even though we ourselves were nearly ten kilometres from the blast zone. We'd barely managed to get the outposts we had in the area evacuated in time. Without warning, my comm beeped.

"Jason, what the hell was that? I felt that from here." Jim's voice came over my earpiece.

I grimaced, activating the link. "The Dominion showed up, with Warfield and Duke leading them. They've just cleared a landing zone."

"With what, asteroids?"

"Nearly.  _ Apocalypse _ -class nukes."

Jim was silent for a second. "They're serious, aren't they?"

"Sure looks like it, although they were kind enough to aim them away from us." As I spoke, I could see the Dominion finally blasting through the last of the current group of Zerg defenders, beginning to launch drop-pods and transports in our direction, with buildings following. "Jim, they're landing ground forces, around 12 clicks south of your position."

"Lovely. Reason I called; you might want to get over here too. Sarah's awake."

I swore silently. Trust her to pick a point when things were going crazy to wake up. Still, it was going to take the Dominion a while before they could mount an effective assault. The assault force on the ground was enough that trying to take them out immediately was going to be a no-go, but not large enough for them to risk an assault on us or the Zerg without back up. There wasn’t likely to be a better time to see her.

"I'll be right over."

As Nova and I charged our Vulture bike towards the Hive that held Sarah, I could see the chaos first-hand as we weaved past the various sections of the base and out towards Sarah’s location. The Raiders and Protoss had been able to restore most systems to full functionality as we raced past them, but work was still clearly going on. I was silently cursing as I went. Of all the things I had expected the Dominion to try, this had not been one, and it really should have been. I hadn't considered that, by overthrowing the Confederacy, the Dominion would have access to the vast majority of the Confederate's weapons and tech, including their most feared weapon.

"Are you finished blaming yourself, again?" Nova interrupted my thoughts. I sighed. Sometimes, having a partner that knew your every thought was a major hassle. Nova punched my arm, signalling that she'd heard that too.

"We survived that because of luck, not skill, Nova. I really should have seen it coming."

"Shut it. If Duke or Warfield wanted to use them against us, they would have. We've got enough problems right now, without you having to borrow others, OK?"

I snorted. I wasn't quite sure if she was right or not, but either way, it wasn't an issue at this moment. All I could do was hope that it didn't become one down the track.

"Right. Concentrate on the problems we have now." Nova replied to my thoughts.

I shook my head wryly. Sometimes, having a partner that knew your every thought was a major bonus.

Soon enough, we reached the chamber where Sarah was undergoing her evolution. I had expected to see Jim looking nervous, pacing back and forth, with Tychus grinning and smoking a cigar. I did not expect to find Jim embracing what appeared to be Sarah. But not as she was currently, I could still see the cocoon of flesh that had encased her before. No, she appeared to be human. I stopped, trying to reconcile the two impossibilities.

"Ha, pay up Tychus." Jim laughed.

"Damn. I was hoping you were a bit more restrained than that, Jason." Tychus grumbled.

Sarah grinned, although I could still see a degree of pain and fear in her expression. That gave me the clue I needed to understand the scene in front of me.

"Mental projection, huh? I didn't know you could do that." I finally commented, raising an eyebrow.

Sarah nodded. "In addition to everything else, the Overmind seems to be cramming a lot of psionic information into me. That was one of the first tricks I learned."

Now that I had a chance to look closer, I could see that she wasn't quite as she had been before. Her hair, previously fine, was appearing to bunch together, more in the style of the hair tendrils that I had last seen on Antiga Prime, when I had met the Queen of Blades. There was also a slight purple tinge, both to her hair, and the rest of her body. Evidently, she was projecting as she was now, rather than as she had been.

"It's rude to stare, you know." Sarah said softly.

Blinking, I brought myself out of my slight lapse of concentration and focussed back on her. "Funny, I never heard you complain when it was Jim staring at you, and I'll bet he was thinking something very different."

She laughed and walked over to me. I met her halfway, pulling her into a hug. Even though she was obviously a projection, she still felt solid, which was almost as surprising as the fact that she was there at all. Not so surprising was the fact that she was shaking. Despite her outward appearance, she was still being essentially rebuilt from the genetic level up, while completely conscious and aware. It didn't matter how strong Sarah was, that had to mess with her mental state, whether she had been willing to accept this or not. Glancing at Jim, and seeing him standing right behind her shoulder, I knew that he understood that fact just as well as I did. Finally, she released me and I did my best to ignore the moisture in her eyes.

"Jim told me I managed to knock the pair of you out. I'm-"

I placed a finger on her lips, not letting her finish. "Compared to what you're going through, that's a gentle nudge. Let us worry about that, and you, OK?"

She nodded slightly, although I could see she wasn't convinced.

"How are you holding up?" I asked gently.

She sniffed slightly. "I'm managing. I don't really know how to describe it. The first part was the worst. That creature, whatever it was, well, it wasn't exactly gentle. I think it broke nearly every bone I had."

She shuddered and Jim gripped her shoulder, reminding her that he was there for her. She glanced back at him with such a loving expression that it would have melted anyone's heart. Despite the seriousness of the situation, both here and outside, I grinned at the pair of them, waiting. Finally, she turned back to me, blushing slightly. Before she could continue, I held up a hand.

"You don't have to tell me everything, you know."

She grinned. "Afraid you can't handle it?"

I shook my head. "Worried about you being able to handle it."

I hadn't been idle over the last few months. While there was very little on Sarah's history in the records within the Sons of Korhal of her time prior to her 'rescue', all the data we'd raided from the various ex-Confederate facilities had contained a large amount of useful information, including at least some history of Sarah's time with the Confederacy, and even a little before then. Given what I had come across, my respect for Sarah, which had never been low, had risen another few levels. To go through everything that she had, and be the woman that she was, was nothing short of incredible. Having said that, everyone had their limits, and I was more than a little worried that Sarah might be getting close to her own.

She raised an eyebrow, obviously waiting for me to explain. I sighed.

"I know what the Confederacy did to you, and later Mengsk. Not to mention everything else that's happened since then."

"You're worried that it's going to be too much for me to handle?" Her voice rose slightly in anger.

"Can you blame me? Anyone else would be running screaming by now, just because of this." I waved an arm around the room, sure that she understood my reasoning. "Add the rest of it? Everyone has a breaking point, Sarah, and I don't want to see you reach yours." I managed a small smile. "Jim and I have been dragging your arse out of the fire for so long, I'd hate to see all that effort go to waste."

She snorted, her anger fading. "I know my limits, Jason. But I'll let you off the hook, this time. What's going on out there?"

"The Dominion decided to show up to the party."

Her eyes narrowed. "Are they crazy?"

"Crazy or not, they're still doing pretty well. They knocked out the Zerg in orbit, cleared a landing zone and are landing a ground force as we speak."

She blinked. "What did they use to get down here? I can't see them getting past the ground defences of both the Zerg and us."

I was more than a little relieved that she still thought of herself as one of us and not the Zerg; it gave me at least some hope that the Overmind had kept his word. "Nukes, big ones."

She recoiled a step. "Big ones, you mean-"

I nodded. "Duke and Warfield were considerate enough to give us some warning, but I'm not counting on it again. We couldn't do much against them while they were in orbit, but down here? It's going to be a bloodbath and no mistake. Duke knows both the Zerg and I well enough to know that he can't afford to hold back if they want to win, and Warfield's no slouch." I stopped, then spoke more gently. "But like I said, let me worry about that, OK?"

I looked at her, not backing off for an instant, despite her temper obviously rising. Aside from Jim, I knew Sarah better than anyone, and I probably understood parts of her even better than Jim did. Regardless of her own problems, she dove in to try and fix everyone else's. While that was commendable and something I respected  – after all, Jim and I did the same thing most of the time and Nova wasn't much better. There were times when one needed to focus on their own issues and leave others to handle theirs. Personally, I thought that going through the process of being infested, especially willingly, tended to qualify as one of those times. Unfortunately, Sarah was, despite  –  or perhaps because of  –  her past, one of the most stubborn people I had ever met. I needed to hold my ground, but that position was rarely a smart place to be against Sarah Kerrigan. Luckily, I had something of an ace up my sleeve.

Jim chose that moment to spin Sarah around and kiss her soundly, saving me from a fight that I really didn't want and was by no means sure that I'd win. While it certainly had the advantage of calming her down, I didn't expect the other effects.

A wave of emotion suddenly blasted me. The only way that I could describe it was an overwhelming feeling of love. Even despite the pressing feeling, I could still recognise that the source was not from me, but rather the couple standing in front of me. My eyes widened as I began to understand what was happening. Whether some final barrier between Jim and Sarah had just been broken, or Sarah's new growing powers were responsible, the bond that existed between them had just gone wild, projecting their emotions. Any doubts that I might have had over the depth of the feelings between Jim and Sarah had just been buried. I shook my head, clearing the unexpected wave of emotions.

"Wow."

The pair started, as if realising that the rest of us were still there. Of course, given that they had both just come out of something of a daze when they had been almost completely lost in each other, it wasn't really much of a surprise. The blushes on the pair were something special. I could feel Nova's own amusement as I grinned widely.

Of course, the moment couldn't last. My comm suddenly came to life, with Matt calling over it.

"Sir, you'd better get back. The Dominion's starting to make a push."

I grimaced. "Got it, Matt." Turning back to Jim and Sarah, I smiled regretfully.

"Looks like I'm going to have to cut this short. Jim, Sarah needs you more than we do right now. We'll worry about the Dominion, OK?"

Jim nodded, and Sarah mouthed a thank you. Nodding in reply, Nova and I turned and headed back to the battle.

Over the course of the next few days, everything seemed to blur together. Warfield had mostly chosen to attack the Zerg, something I had anticipated and hoped for. After the discussion before the battle, I had figured that he would likely do exactly that, simply because the idea of the Zerg being the primary threat would be at the front of his mind. The position we were holding was one of the best routes to the area where Sarah was being infested, but there were faster routes through the Zerg lines. Still, we had our fair share of action. I had tried to keep to a non-fatal combat philosophy, and I could see that the Dominion troops, despite our history, weren't overly keen on killing us when there were Zerg to fight. But even with this, casualties on both sides were beginning to mount. I had long since called in Matt and the fleet to begin harassing the Dominion in orbit, although we were careful to avoid getting into a prolonged engagement.

The issues with this particular conflict were beginning to become quite a headache. On the one hand, both sides had been enemies in the past, and likely would be again. Both were, under a conventional combat situation, better armed and equipped than us, and had greater numbers as well. If things went badly, then we would be neck deep in trouble in the blink of an eye.

On the other hand, the Zerg were allies at present, and the Dominion, while enemies, were significantly more interested in fighting the Zerg than us, especially since they were after Sarah. Duke and Warfield knew, just as well as we did, that they had a time limit to beat, as well as us and the Zerg. And everyone also knew that by far the easiest path was going to be through us. We might have a reasonable position, and a fair chunk of firepower, but the Zerg had the home ground advantage to go with the massive numerical advantage they had always held. The weak point in the defence around Sarah was us, and everyone knew it.

So, it was only a matter of time before Duke and Warfield abandoned their restrained treatment of us and began to push seriously. The first indication that they were getting serious was when we started suffering Wraith strafing runs against our front-line troops. They weren't particularly dangerous, and the damage was easily repaired, but the attacks became nearly constant, sapping at the reserves everyone had left. It also meant that an increasing number of our anti-air units and detectors had to be directed away from the skirmishes in orbit and elsewhere on the battlefield towards the new threat, which made things far more difficult.

The next stage was an increase in the attacks from the more powerful assault units, siege tanks and goliaths from the ground and aerial bombardment from the orbiting battlecruisers. The ground units never got close enough to give us a chance to deal serious damage, simply continuing to probe our defences, looking for weak points in the lines. Of course, with our own air defences occupied dealing with the wraiths, the battlecruisers were proving to be far more dangerous for us to deal with. Matt and Tamsir, leading the fleet in orbit, were trying to disrupt them as much as possible, but the low-level harassment tactics that we had been using simply weren't effective enough to handle the increased threat. The Zerg had helped to keep the Dominion ground forces occupied, which had taken some of the pressure off there, but the anti-flyer defence that the Dominion had employed was far too good for them to affect that battle, even with their superior numbers.

So, it was time to change tactics.

Brutally.

So far, the Protoss had primarily been on the ground, without a major presence in the air. I had asked Tassadar to hold back his air forces, primarily as a reserve should we run into trouble with the Zerg. Right now, though, we had little alternative. A quick meeting between Nova, Tassadar, Selendis and myself later, and we had our plan. Gathering in the  _ Liberator's _ tactical room, we watched as the fleet began to manoeuvre into position, safely out of range of the Dominion's sensors.

"You do realise that this is a hell of a long shot, don't you?" Nova asked.

"Last ditch options tend to be like that." I shrugged. "Still, we've been on the defensive for far too long. It's time to do what we do best."

A truly feral grin crossed her face, and I could feel similar emotions from the two Protoss. Returning the grin, I leaned towards the comm.

"The leash is off. Engage."

The Arbiters had so far eschewed direct confrontations with the Dominion fleet. Given the situation, Tassadar and I had avoided using them. As a strategic asset, they were unparalleled. Their ability to recall and lock units in stasis made them perhaps the most vital element of our force. I was reluctant to bring them into direct action, as they were practically irreplaceable and lacked the heavy armour of our other capital ships, but we were out of options.

The fleet gathered around them, guarding them from direct fire. No doubt, the Dominion was wondering exactly why we were risking a close engagement now, not being able to see the fleet surrounding them. Warfield was likely more than a little confused about what we hoped to achieve with three ships, admittedly unknown ones, but still, I couldn't imagine that he thought he would have any issue dealing with three ships with the might of the Dominion at his command.

He wouldn't be thinking that way for long.

Moving quickly, the Arbiters trapped the Science vessels within their stasis fields, completely neutralising their capability to detect the cloaked fleet before it got into range. Of course, I didn't want the Arbiters to engage in direct combat, but the Dominion didn't know that, and they didn't know everything about them. Before the Dominion could target the Arbiters, the fleet unloaded its other big trick. I grinned; it had been Mengsk and Duke that had given me the idea.

If siege tanks could be used in space battles, then why couldn't other ground units?

Fire swiftly began to stream out of the fleet concealed underneath the Arbiters’ cloaking field, only it wasn't the kind of fire that the Dominion would have ever expected. After all, what would Ghosts be doing in orbit right now?

Locking down the enemy fleet would be the answer. Between them, the  _ Stingrays _ , and the precision strikes from the Protoss Carriers, as well as the advantage of surprise, we had the Dominion on the back foot. They had to turn what fire they had left back towards the fleet, and that amount was rapidly dropping. The Ghosts and Arbiters were switching targets as rapidly as they were able, with the other elements of the force concentrating on disabling as many ships as they could. As I had hoped, the enemy Wraiths were forced to turn for orbit to try and provide some resistance to our assault, giving us the opportunity to push the ground assault back and get some much-needed breathing space. Fortunately, the Zerg also realised the Dominion's sudden disadvantage and made full use of it, giving us even more time. It was rare that I was thankful for a Zerg assault, but for once it wasn't directed at us and it was going to help us out more than if they had stayed out of it, so I wasn't going to be fussy.

Nova smiled. "Well, that worked better than expected."

"Yeah, nice to see things work out for us for a change."

I really need to learn to stop tempting fate like that. Just after I finished, a sudden wave of power washed over us. My eyes widened as I realised the source. Spinning around, I stared at the display as what I knew had just happened flashed across it. Sarah's power had just flared once more. As if on cue, the Overmind's voice echoed across the battlefield.

_ "Can you feel it? The power of the sleeper is peaking. Soon, she will awake, and all fate will change." _

My eyes widened, and I slapped my comm. "Jim?"

"He ain't wrong, Jason. Zeratul and I nearly got knocked cold by that little blast. He doesn't reckon it will be long before Sarah is ready to emerge, either."

"How long? Minutes, hours, days?"

"Best guess? An hour, two tops."

"Best news I've heard all day, if everything goes to plan."

Of course, Fate was obviously irritated by the Overmind's little speech and decided to tweak our noses a little. A series of flashes caught my attention and I spun back to the display in time to see essentially all our own detectors get locked down. At the same instant, a massive attack caught our frontlines, damaging quite a lot of our systems, including most of the missile turrets, particularly those along our path to Sarah. Seconds later, a series of nuke warnings rang out. The chaos robbed my attention of the meaning behind the sudden offensive, just as it robbed everyone else of theirs. It took us 20 seconds to scan out the rest of the base and pinpoint the ghosts guiding the nukes and at the end of those 20 seconds, all seemed as normal as could be expected. But my gut instinct said we had a major problem still, but I couldn't work out what. Fortunately, someone else was still on the ball.

_ "Jason! A ghost team slipped past you! They're headed in towards Sarah!"  _ The Queen's voice slammed into my head. Cursing, I spun, keying the display for another set of scans. It took a few seconds, but I found them, and my heart sank. They already had a sizable lead on us, and I couldn't spare a force to hunt them down. One figure drew my eye, and my rage began to build.

I recognised the lead Ghost. After all, you tend not to forget the man that ran you through.

Options ran swiftly through my mind. Nova added her own input and we evaluated everything we could think of, until we came up with a single, unpalatable option.

The only force capable of moving fast enough and powerful enough to stand a chance against that team was us four. If we could link up with Jim and Zeratul, and hold on long enough for Sarah to break out, we might just pull this off.

I turned to the others. "Grab your gear, I'll get a couple of bikes ready."

Without waiting for a response, I turned back to the exit, sprinting for the Vulture area, and alerting Matt to the situation and its implications for him.

All the while, I was trying very hard to not think of the last time I had gone up against the mystery Ghost. While I had improved in my skill and power, thanks to Sarah and Nova's help, I couldn't forget that I had nearly died the last time I had faced him, and only his desire to make my death drawn out, and Nova's stunning ability, had saved my ass.

Somehow, if things went wrong, I didn't think I could count on him making the same mistake this time.


	35. But sides that keep changing

**(Author's Note)**

**Be warned, this chapter is less friendly than usual. There are some brief mentions of gore, coarse language and other such things.**

As I ran, I keyed the comm.

"Jim? Come in?"

Static greeted me over the comm. My blood froze. There was no reason that Jim shouldn't be able to respond.

"Jim? Zeratul? Come in!"

Nothing. Hope was rapidly beginning to fade. Sarah was almost defenceless without those two. Whatever protection the Zerg might have been able to provide at this point was next to useless against an elite Ghost force, even more so if our mystery Ghost was truly an agent of whatever force was controlling the Zerg. He might be able to confuse or control the Zerg against us if the Queen was right.

The Queen...

My eyes widened in realisation. Zeratul had been called to Antiga Prime as well, presumably by her. So, she might just be...

_ "Already done it. Zeratul said that their comms were jammed, but they're getting set up for the Ghosts." _

I breathed a sigh of relief. One disaster averted.  _ "Thank you." _

_ "You know, you're going to have to call me something other than the Queen." _

_ "Probably, although there are a lot of other things I need to worry about as well." _

She chuckled, although there was an undertone of grimness to her amusement.  _ "How about Louise? Can you work with that?" _

I smiled. Louise. A name that was both linked to Sarah, and not connected with her, as few knew her middle name. I couldn't think of a more apt name for her to use.  _ "Yeah. Sounds good to me." _

_ "Good. Now, go save the girl and kick that bastard's arse. He's earned it." _

_ "You got it." _

As Louise withdrew from my mind, I finished getting the two Vultures ready, just as Nova and the two Protoss raced up. I turned to them.

"Ready for this?"

Nova nodded. "Looking forward to it. Let's get moving."

Selendis swung onto the back of my Vulture as I kicked it to life. Beside us, Nova and Tassadar took their own positions. Nova and I exchanged a glance. I smiled grimly.

"Let's roll."

Gunning the bike off the mark, I spun it around and raced for Sarah. Deep down, I knew that the next hour might just decide the fate of everything. While I had never been as good a Vulture pilot as Jim, I knew a trick or two and I was determined that nothing was going to stand between us and Sarah.

Racing out of the base, I took off down the path, Nova just behind. I glanced at the display of our route. It was by no means the easiest of rides, with plenty of twisting turns around tall cliffs above lava fields. Going by foot was far safer than what we were doing, but there was no choice. The only way we might be able to catch up in time was with the Vultures. Unfortunately, that was going to be easier said than done.

A pair of Wraiths swung down over us, raining laser fire. While they couldn't do much on their own, even a small hit could flip us out of control, and evading the strikes and not crashing whilst doing so was not a simple task by any means. Plus, we couldn't afford to slow down, at all.

"Jason, we need to get these guys off our tail." Nova called over the comm.

I managed to resist asking her not to state the obvious, choosing instead to focus on the problem at hand. Vultures were purely a ground combat unit, the frag grenades wouldn't have the launch power to reach the Wraiths, even as low as they were flying. Still, we had three of the best long-range shooters around, and Tassadar was no slouch in ranged combat either. Suddenly, I spotted a couple of things ahead, and I realised we had a chance to change this fight up.

"Nova, follow my lead!" Coaxing every bit of power I could out of the Vulture's engine, I raced forward. I knew that the Wraiths would outpace us any day of the week, but I didn't need to lose them if this worked.

The very good thing about uneven terrain was that there were plenty of little ramps that could be used, and some not so little ones, including one that was rather steep. It was this ramp that I was aiming for. I knew very well that this was one of the craziest stunts I had ever attempted to pull off, but there was little option.

"Strap in and hang on." I called to Selendis, aiming straight for the ramp.

_ "What are you doing?" _ Selendis called back, worried.

"Catching some air."

_ "What?" _

At that moment, we hit the ramp almost exactly side by side at practically flank speed. The two Wraiths were also flying in close formation, using their lasers to try and shut us down. But they obviously didn't realise what we were planning, or why we were on the ramp in the first place, because they never changed their altitude.

For the record, Mutalisks are extremely aggressive when you startle them.

The two Wraith pilots had never noticed that there had been a pair of Mutalisks in front of us, and the shock of finding them there was enough to make them flinch, although the Mutalisks were just as stunned, although they were quicker to react. Fortunately, they didn't take any notice of us, nor did the Wraiths, who were suddenly too busy trying to survive. As the bikes hit the ground, I grinned, knowing that we had, at the very least, a chance for a head-start on the enemy fighters. Of course, being the day it was, things were not going to go smoothly. One thing that I had been most afraid of as an obstacle proved to be a reality as we rounded the next corner.

Zerg fighting Zerg. In force. Evidently, our mystery Ghost was able to turn them against each other.

Selendis blinked.  _ "Any ideas for this?" _

I considered carefully. We really didn't have the time to go around, but I didn't want to simply charge through a battle zone. A quick glance told me that there were no handy tools that we could use to evade the fight.

_ "Straight down the middle." _ Tassadar replied.

_ "Have you lost your mind? We would be slaughtered." _

_ "Do you have a better idea?"  _ Nova put in.

_ "Anything would be better than that." _

_ "No choice, now." _ I put in. Indeed, we were far too close now to pull back and try something else. The Overmind, if he was still with us, would likely know what we were up to and probably forgive us, and the rogue Zerg would be attacking us anyway. All we could do was punch through and hope for the best.

Out of interest, I glanced down at the Vulture's instrument panel. 320km/h. I was more than a little curious about how the bikes, and the Zerg, would react to the impact. Aiming for the rogue Zerglings, or my best guess as to which side was which, I braced for impact, the others doing the same.

The result could be best described as carnage. The fury of all the battlefields I had seen didn't compare to the absolute devastation we wrought on the Zerg. No nice clean wounds here, pieces of Zerg littered the area, completely torn off and apart by the force of the impact. I swallowed slightly, forcing back the bile coming up my throat. The two Vultures were only lightly damaged, and even then only because a couple of the Zerglings' tusks had been stuck and dragged briefly before it, and the heads they were attached to, were simply torn off the host bodies, left flapping behind us. I knew that the damage could shut the bikes down eventually, but we didn't have time to clear up the mess and make repairs. As long as they got us to Sarah, that was going to be enough.

Glancing quickly at the sensors, I couldn't see anything else between us and Sarah, and we were getting feeds from the base's sensor scans as well. So, we knew that the Ghost team was already inside the hive. While that was bad news, the good news was that we had no other obstacles between us and the Hive itself.

Of course, Fate, being the fickle thing she was, chose that moment to give us a damn good kick up the arse.

"Mayday, Mayday, Mayday!" A panicked voice suddenly called over an open channel before being cut off. I didn't pay much attention to it, not really having anything more to relate it to. Matt, however, did.

"Jason, you hear that Mayday call?"

"Yeah, I heard it. Not sure what I can do about it right now, though. Who was it?"

"A Dominion battlecruiser. It took a full salvo from the Zerg, but that's not the problem."

"Then what is?" Trying to concentrate on driving and listening to what Matt had to say was rather difficult at the speeds we were doing.

"It's coming down, hard and fast."

I blinked, as one possible implication hit me. "Where?"

His tone went grim. "You had to ask, didn't you? Analysis predicts a definite impact zone in your vicinity, but most likely about 500m short of the Hive with Sarah."

I tried to work out the rough impact radius of such a strike. Selendis, with access to the sensors, got the answer first.

_ "Jason, with the ship's current course and speed, 500m might as well be right on top of that Hive." _

"So, in other words, it's aiming at the Hive?"

_ "Close enough to make no difference." _

"Lovely. Matt, any chance we can redirect the impact somewhere else?"

"Not a chance, sir. It's already out of range of any assistance we might be able to provide."

"Brilliant. How long do we have?"

"Best guess, about two minutes until impact."

I didn't have to glance at the sensors. Even if the ship didn't explode on impact, which was a distinct possibility, we were going to be cutting it very fine indeed, even at top speed. Top speed, however, was not going to be simple, easy or exactly safe to maintain. But if we had had no choice before, then we had even less now. If the Hive survived the impact, then the damage was going to knock the Zerg's ability to defend it for six, and there was still that Ghost team. We had no choice.

"We're going in."

The next minute was relatively simple in terms of getting to Sarah in time. The terrain wasn't too bad, we had no enemies in our road and the battlecruiser was still at a relatively comfortable height. We concentrated on making up as much ground as we could, because we all knew that the final run was going to be an absolute hell-storm. We weren't disappointed.

The battlecruiser had finally noticed our presence and decided to take us with them. Laser rounds slammed into the ground all around us.

"Just like them to make life more interesting." Nova snarked.

"You've got that right. I'm stunned they still have power, or people at the weapons, and they'd be bothering to waste time on us." I replied.

_ "Are we going to be able to make it in time?" _ Tassadar asked.

"It's going to be awfully close. Way too close for comfort."

"You got that right." Nova replied.

Trying not to dodge more than was absolutely necessary, we hurtled towards the hive holding Sarah, which had fortunately just come into sight. The good news was that we didn't have more than 30 seconds until we reached it. The bad news was those last 30 seconds may not be available, and even if they were, it was still far from clear if the hive would survive the impact itself. At this point it didn't matter. If we slowed down, we would be dead. If we turned back, Sarah, Jim and Zeratul would be dead, and we may as well be.

The shadow of the battlecruiser was looming over us now, still firing furiously at us. However, it was quickly apparent that they still had at least some control of their flight systems left.

"Their descent is accelerating!" Matt yelled.

Evidently, they'd worked out they wouldn't stop us with the guns, so they were trying to make sure we were caught in the impact and any explosion. The only good news was that it meant there was a better chance of the hive escaping serious damage. The Vulture's engines were whining, and every single gauge was deep in the red. It was clear that they weren't going to last much longer, but then we didn't really need them to. If they got us to Sarah, it would be enough.

We slid out from underneath the battlecruiser with about 100 metres to spare, although we were still in range of any blast radius. In what must have been an incredible stroke of luck, or someone else meddling in our fates again, the explosion that I had feared never happened. But the shockwave from the impact did. For the last few hundred metres to the hive, we had an absolutely massive shock-wave rippling through the ground behind us, with debris being thrown all around us, making that final stage perhaps the most challenging of the entire short, but adrenaline inducing, experience. Finally, we slid inside the hive, with it closing behind us. We could hear the debris and shockwave pelting the building’s carapace, and it was obviously taking a beating. But as the seconds passed, the impacts lessened, and I breathed a sigh of relief. The hive, and us, had survived.

For now, at least. We did have a powerful Ghost team ahead of us, after all.

Slowing down to far more reasonable speeds now that we were out of immediate danger, we made our way towards the chamber holding Sarah. I was more than a little worried about what our opponents might have set up for us. Even if Jim and Zeratul were keeping them busy, the odds were good that they wouldn't be able to stop the ghosts from preparing something to welcome us with. With comms still being jammed, and Zeratul not connected to the rest of Protoss, they couldn't warn us either. So, what would they have set up?

Nova was apparently listening in.  _ "What about lock-downs? They could shut us down and take us out and we couldn't do a thing to stop them." _

My eyes widened. It was perfect. Minimal risk to them, quite simple to execute... and extremely painful for us.  _ "You're right, and it's exactly the sort of strike they'd use on us." _

Nova had evidently alerted both Protoss as to our discussion.  _ "How do we escape that?" _ Selendis asked, more than a little concern in her mental voice.

_ "Could we intercept the lock-down devices before they strike us?"  _ Tassadar asked.

_ "No." _ I replied.  _ "They're specifically designed to be unaffected by any psionic manipulations other than from those firing them. It's a safeguard that's been around for years." _

_ "So, what do you propose?" _

I considered a new idea. It was crazy, but that was our style, by now.  _ "Nova, remind me, what's the radius on the lock-down?" _

_ "A few metres, why?" _

_ "So, if we're wide enough, they would have to use two?" _

_ "Yeah, so?" _

_ "So, it gives us more chance of evading them. We just have to make sure we're not on the Vultures when they get hit." _

Silence was my response, but then I was used to that by now.

_ "You must be joking."  _ Tassadar said finally.

_ "At the risk of sounding like a scratched record, does anyone have a better idea?" _

_ "They wouldn't expect it, that's for sure."  _ Nova said thoughtfully.

_ "For good reason. Could we survive the impact?"  _ Selendis asked.

_ "We all have armour, psionic abilities or both. I think we'd be fine, and it beats being blown up." _ I replied.

_ "This is true. In any case, I do not think we have a better option." _

_ "Good, because you better get ready."  _ Nova cut in.

Glancing at the sensors, I could see that there wasn't much time left before we reached Sarah, only a few more corners. Focussing on the final approach, but staying close beside Nova, I prepared for the fight ahead.

_ "Stay close until we get around that corner and see them. Let them fire the first set at us, then split and hug the walls. We might be able to get closer that way, if they line up on us again, bail into the middle, but try and get the Vultures to come more central as well, give us some cover."  _ I refined the plan slightly.

As we came around the last corner, I saw a pair of lock-down rounds fired in our direction. Breaking wide, we both managed to miss them, even firing off a quick shot with the grenade launchers to give them something else to think about. But a second pair wasn't far behind the first, and we wouldn't dodge them both.

"Bail!" I called. Suiting words to actions, I brought the Vulture around just enough to aim for the middle, then cracked open the door and dived out, Selendis right behind me, and Nova and Tassadar mirroring our actions. The pair of Vultures slammed into each other before being caught by the lockdowns. A powerful, although slightly delayed, barrage of fire swiftly blew both vehicles apart.

Luckily for us, the blast concealed our escape. Despite having all their psionic abilities, even Ghosts tend to use their eyes to check for an opponent first, except for the absolute best ones. The Ghosts that had been tasked with taking us out weren't among those.

Nova and the two Protoss were the first to manage to get into firing position, but then their own psionics helped in that regard. A swift burst of fire from Nova and lightning from Tassadar had taken out three by the time I stopped my own tumble. Selendis's own weapon claimed another. By the time I was ready, there weren't any Ghosts left alive in front of us, though the sound of gunfire around the corner told me that the battle wasn't finished yet.

"How many are left?" I asked.

"Six, including our old friend." Nova replied.

I nodded, moving towards the chamber carefully. Activating my psi-screen, I pulled out a flash-bang and bowled it around the corner, though I half expected it to come flying back. As it turned out, we weren't that unlucky, and it went off safely out of our sight. Taking advantage of the distraction, Nova dived low around the corner. It was just as well she did.

A hail of gunfire sliced through the air, no more than a foot above where Nova was. Had she, or anyone else, simply run out, they would have an acute case of lead poisoning and perforated everything. She managed, along with Jim and Zeratul who were taking full advantage of our presence, to put enough pressure on the Ghosts to force them to take cover long enough for the rest of us to enter the fight. As we stepped out, however, the sounds of fighting stopped. Wary and with my rifle raised, I stared at the scene in front of me.

As Nova had said, there were six Ghosts facing us. All had their weapons raised but were obviously waiting for orders from their leader. Even though he had been wearing a mask both on New Folsom and right now, I knew which one he was. Aside from the sword he was holding, the air of arrogance and confidence oozed off him, and I could see that he expected this to be an easy fight. Of course, given how New Folsom had turned out, he was right to make that assumption. My eyes narrowed and I holstered the rifle before drawing my own sword. Nova glanced at me in shock.

_ "You sure about this?" _

_ "Not really, but he's going to come at me anyway. I can at least keep him occupied for a while and he's still likely to want to toy with me. I can use that to my advantage. Plus, the advantage of time is on our side right now. Just don't play with your own food too much, I'm probably going to need a hand with him if we're going to finish him off." _

_ "Of course. Just be careful. I doubt that he'll make the same mistake twice." _

_ "Got it, ma'am." _

Stepping forward, I raised the sword, staring at my nemesis. "You know, this is an awful lot of trouble to go to for a re-match."

He chuckled. "Had to set the scene appropriately. And as a bonus, I get to cut the head off your ragtag mob, the Protoss and the Zerg. Wins all the way around."

"You thought the same at New Folsom. Didn't work out that well, I seem to recall. Couldn't even make a simple kill."

He inclined his head. "I must admit, I was a little surprised to see you still alive after that. Still, easy enough to finish that now."

I grinned slightly. "It took an army to distract me enough for you to get that blow in. You seem to be lacking one right now."

"Oh, that just shortened the fight. It was always going to end the same way."

I raised an eyebrow. "With you screwing up? Let's see if you can do it again."

He walked forward and as we spread out, ready to fight, I could hear the grin in his voice. "Try to keep me entertained this time."

With a flash of motion, he was upon me, sword angling for my neck. With everyone else clear of me, rather than parrying, I ducked under it, unleashing a solid punch to his gut. The force threw him back a couple of metres and I could see shock in his stance. I grinned.

"Quite amazing what a difference surprise makes, don't you think?"

He snarled and charged in, although he was definitely more cautious this time. His skill was as apparent as ever, however. I was on the back foot almost immediately, barely managing to block his blows that were constantly raining down on me. At least, that was what I was hoping he was seeing. The training I had done with Sarah, while it certainly hadn't brought me up to his level, did at least get me closer and give me a much better chance, although I was still waiting for the best opportunity to show him exactly how much of an improvement I had made.

So, I continued, moving more towards evasion than parrying, and staying on the defensive. Sooner or later, he would make a mistake and...

_ There _ ...

His rage had got the better of him, and he swung his sword horizontally with a little too much strength, more than he could easily control. For a split second, I had an opening and I made full use of it, driving my sword into his left shoulder. I had been aiming for his heart, but he was able to move out of the way far enough. Still, must have been priceless, though I didn't stop to enjoy the thought of it, pressing my advantage viciously. In the few seconds that followed, I was able to score another strike on his other arm, though the wound wasn't nearly as serious as the previous one. Actually, neither were life-threatening, but still enough to give him some serious problems. I decided I was tired of this guy hiding behind his mask and elected to liberate him of it. Rather than cutting it off him, which was my first option although he had got back into the rhythm of the battle, I chose to simply tear it off with my free hand.

I could live for a millennium and never forget his face. Dark-skinned and dark hair, he could be taken as perfectly ordinary... if you didn't look at his eyes, that is. Madness blazed out of them with an intensity I had never seen before, and I had dealt with more than a few crazed people over the years. If I had any doubts that this man was not only an enemy but one of the  _ agents _ that Louise had mentioned before, they vanished rather swiftly.

I froze for a second too long, and I paid for it. On the plus side, I didn't end up with a sword where I didn't want or need one. On the downside, psionic blasts are a bitch at close range. I ended up being thrown across the chamber, with my chest feeling like I'd just had a shock round hit it. Staggering up, I glared at the man standing, once again calmly, across from me.

"You thought this was going to be a fair fight?" He grinned.

So that was how this was going to be. Fine, that actually suited me.

"Yeah, I did. Still do, actually." I smiled coldly, walking back towards him, sword ready. "But then, I always fight fair."

He grinned and shot another blast of psionic energy at me. This time, though, I was ready, diving sideways and rolling back to my feet, shotgun rather than sword in hand, grinning at his furious expression.

"Exactly as fair as my enemy." I finished.

His eyes widened as he watched me aim straight at him, but he managed to get up a barrier of some kind as I fired. This time, though, it was the wrong move. He should have been looking at his feet.

One of the first principles of tactics I had learned was very simple: make your enemy look at one hand, while you are doing something else with the other. He'd been too busy concentrating on my evasion and the shotgun I'd drawn, that he never noticed the grenade at his feet.

Until it went off, of course.

I knew that I was never going to be able to pull the pin on an explosive grenade without attracting attention, and I wasn't going to have the time either. Instead, I opted for another flash-bang, making sure my visor was down and protected.

Let it be said, watching someone's reaction when a flash-bang goes off at their feet and they haven't noticed is rather amusing, when they aren't on your side.

The concussive force of the explosion threw the Ghost back, evidently heavily affected by the explosion. He landed heavily, unable to easily regain his bearings. He still hadn't managed it by the time I reached him. Kicking the sword out of his hand, I glared down at the man that I had just beaten. As some sense of understanding reached him, he couldn't hide his shock.

It may not have been a conventional duel, or completely with swords, but he knew I had won. Staring down the barrel of my shotgun, his fury was as apparent as it was impotent.

"This is not the end." He snarled like a wild animal.

"Time will tell." I shrugged, ready to end him.

Fate, however, had other ideas. Whatever was controlling Sarah's infestation chose the following seconds to finish, rather spectacularly. Thankfully, Sarah seemed to realise what was happening.

_ "Get down!" _ I heard her scream. Trusting her instantly, and choosing not to waste the time needed to finish the Ghost, I dived for cover. As I hit the ground, I heard a powerful roar from Sarah's direction.

The next instant, everything turned purple as a shockwave raced over the top of me. I heard screams as masses of psionic energy blew past. Once it faded, I turned towards where Sarah had been, but I couldn't see anything, some sort of fog was completely obscuring her. A flicker of movement to my left caught my attention. As I turned, a masked Ghost charged me, combat blade ready. In the chaos, I'd managed to drop both my sword and shotgun, and it would take precious seconds to draw any other weapons, seconds I didn't have. They also proved to be unnecessary.

The Ghost suddenly froze, stunned shock apparent in their posture. I frowned, unable to see what would have caused a change, until I noticed blood running down their chest. As I traced the flow to its source, I saw something thin and curved sticking out. Before I was able to work out exactly what it is, it pulled out, allowing the Ghost to collapse, and revealing its owner.

I recognised her, of course. How could I not? I could see Sarah in the person in front of me. The same delicate features, the same hidden strength, the pose, everything spoke of her. And yet, it wasn't. The biggest difference was the wings, obviously. It had been the first thing I had noticed about Louise as well, and I knew that that was what she had used to kill the Ghost. But her previous most obvious feature, her flaming red hair, was replaced with brown dreadlocks, or so it seemed, although I knew they were very different. Still, they highlighted her face, which had not changed greatly, aside from changing to a purple colour which I recognised as also matching Louise although her eyes were now a blazing yellow. But the rest of her...

I had seen her in her Ghost suit, and it left little to the imagination. But her appearance now, despite being obviously tougher and harder, left even less. Her skin, or rather the carapace I realised I should think of it as, was thicker than the suit she had worn, but obviously offered far more protection, yet concealed far less of her. I had to remind myself that it wasn't like she was wearing a second skin, it  _ was _ her skin. But even there, there were changes. You couldn't accuse her of being soft now, not with spikes and uneven protrusions covering her limbs, and obviously reinforced armour over her torso.

I took a moment to take in the whole picture, before refocussing on her face, and the sudden doubt that I had seen there. Now, that was pure Sarah. It was an expression I had seen time and again, and one that reassured me that the person standing in front of me was Sarah Kerrigan. The Overmind had kept his word. I nodded and smiled at her.

"Thanks." I said simply.

She smiled slightly in return, understanding that there was far more in that single word than there might have seemed. Looking around, I could see that the scene was more than a little different to what it had been 30 seconds ago.

The other people in the chamber were either on their feet or, in Jim's case, just getting there. I was relieved to see that all my friends and comrades were unharmed, though Jim did look shaken and all had blood on their armour; in Nova's case her blades as well. I was more than a little surprised that he had fared so well against the Ghosts, but very relieved as well. As for the Ghosts themselves, only one was alive, albeit closely guarded by Selendis. With that thought, I turned my attention back to the mystery Ghost I had faced, and my eyes widened.

He was gone.

"What the hell?" I said, stunned. "Where did he go?"

The others looked around in shock, but once again, the Ghost had given us the slip. I gritted my teeth, angry that I'd let him get away again. Frowning, I turned back to Sarah.

"Glad you're still with us." I smiled at her.

She nodded, and evidently whatever the Zerg had done to her hadn't affected her ability to cry. Of course, fate picked that moment to sucker punch us, naturally.

_ "Did you really think it would be that easy?" _ A voice suddenly slammed into my head. I staggered, barely noticing the others doing the same. Still, I was able to recognise that it wasn't the Overmind, or Louise.

I realised in horror that it was the Ghost speaking.

_ "You came here and brought your own destruction with you. My thanks, Commander. Convincing Sarah Kerrigan to allow herself to be infested gave me an excellent weapon, and a very amusing means of killing you." _

At that instant, my mind snapped into overdrive, and I could feel Nova's working just as fast.

How would this Ghost, as powerful as he was, be able to control Sarah  _ after _ her infestation? Controlling small groups of Zerg was one thing, but Sarah as she was now was something else entirely.

Zerg...

Nova and I exchanged glances, thinking furiously. Suddenly we came to the same conclusion and spun around. Not towards Sarah who, I noticed as I turned, was looking confused and terrified.

Towards the Overmind.

I had expected the Overmind to make some comment on Sarah's successful, or so I hoped, transformation. But so far, he had been silent.

_ "Something's not right, though." _ Nova put in.  _ "There's tension coming from him. It's like-" _

_ "Like he's fighting off an attack?"  _ I interrupted.

_ "Exactly." _

Suddenly the Overmind made his presence very clear.  _ "No! You will not have her!" _

Good. He was still putting up a fight. We had a chance yet.

_ "Can you sense the Ghost anywhere?" _ I asked.

_ "No, however it is he can vanish, he's done it again. But he can't be far." _

_ "What about Sarah?" _

_ "I can feel something pushing against her, but she's fighting it too." _

_ "Good to know. _

Turning to the others, I could see that everyone except Jim had come to the same conclusion as Nova and I. Jim was still too busy focussing on Sarah and what the Ghost had said, embracing her and whispering into her ear. Selendis was keeping a firm grip on the surviving Ghost but nodded at me, communicating her readiness to act, even if we weren't exactly sure what we'd be doing yet.

Without warning, a burst of power flooded the chamber once more, and we heard the Overmind scream. One thing was obvious, now: he was about to lose. Suddenly, I heard the Overmind, and I knew he was talking to me alone.

_ "I cannot hold him back much longer. Take her, now. You know what must be done. I will keep him from her, for as long as I can, but you must go, while you are still able. I have done all I can, the rest is up to you. Good luck." _

_ "Thank you." _ I replied quietly, then turned to the others. "Move!"

The others didn't bother waiting around, racing towards the exit. I paused for one last look at the Overmind, understanding just how much he was sacrificing for us. If I hadn't believed him before, I had absolutely no doubt now, which made what had to be done all the more difficult. Turning, I pursued the others.

I had half expected to be in this situation, though I'd hoped that we might be able to avoid it. Running through a Zerg hive, knowing that there were likely to be a lot of Zerg coming your way who were quite willing to dismember you, was not the most fun I'd ever had. Unfortunately, it wasn't long until they made their appearance. Zerglings began to erupt from the walls around us, and we were, once again, in a running gun battle.

"We can't keep this up forever!" Jim yelled, running and gunning at once.

Suddenly, we heard a roar of noise from in front of us, and the walls around us started to shake.

"What the hell is that?" Nova asked.

"Best guess, we have a fuck-ton of Zerg coming down the hall." I replied.

Sarah's eyes darted frantically around the passage, before fixing on something ahead. Summoning a ball of psionic energy, she threw it at the wall, revealing a new passage leading up. "Everyone, up there!" She yelled, her voice echoing both around the passage and our heads.

"You heard her, move." I agreed, not overly keen to run straight into a tide of Zerg.

Everyone bolted up the new passage which, being much narrower, gave us a better chance of holding back the Zerg, though everyone was firing to do it. Selendis had even given the captured Ghost back her weapon - and thankfully, she wasn't using it against us.

Of course, things had to get worse, didn't they?

"Commander? Come in." Matt's voice came over my comm.

"Little busy here, Matt."

"You need to hear this, sir. That battlecruiser that came down? It's Duke's and a fair chunk of the crew are still alive and fighting the Zerg. Warfield's teamed up with us and we're trying to repel the assault up here, but it's not good. You need to get out now."

"Ain't going to be that easy, Matt. I don't know what's going on at the main base, but I'm sure it's an absolute firefight there. Not to mention we've still got to get back there. Relocating to get to those resources may have been a good idea long term, but short term, it's going to be a headache. Even if we can convince Duke to team up with us, it's not going to be simple to get back there, and it's suicide for you to try and extract us from here."

I paused, realising the truth. It was suicide for Matt to try and extract us regardless. There was one option, and one option only.

"Matt, pull back and retreat. Link up with Warfield if you can but keep as much of the fleet intact as possible. We have to dig in, there's no other choice."

"But sir-"

"That's an order, Matt. The only chance we have of getting off this rock is you, and you can't do that if you’re dead. Stay in touch, keep as much together as possible and wait for our call. We'll be fine, just go, now."

There was a major hesitation over the comm. "I don't like this, sir."

"Neither do I, Matt. But we're too stubborn to roll over and die for the Zerg now. I'll make sure there's still people here for you to pick up, just make sure there's still something to pick us up with."

"Yes, sir. Good luck."

I chuckled darkly. "Same to you, Matt. Now get going."

I heard Matt cut off the connection and turned to see Tassadar running beside me.  _ "It is the correct choice, Commander." _

_ "Sure as hell doesn't feel like it." _

_ "Perhaps, but we cannot leave now without losing many more warriors. Staying is a risk, but everything is a risk from here." _

I sighed.  _ "Guess so." _ As we emerged into a chamber, we stopped. There was no exit from here.

"Now what?" Nova called.

"Sarah, where are we compared to where we came in?" I asked.

"Above the entrance and south a little. There's Zerg swarming but they're fighting whoever's left in that battlecruiser as well. The defenders aren't faring well."

Duke. My mind kicked into gear. Duke wouldn't survive on his own, and we wouldn't stand a chance of making it back to the base with both him and the Zerg hunting us. The only way we could get there, and off the planet for that matter, was together, regardless of the risk.

I turned to the others. "Jim, rig up some charges on that wall." I pointed to the wall separating us from outside. "Zeratul, Nova, keep that passage secure, I don't want any more company. When Jim blows the wall, we're heading straight out. We have to try and link up with the battlecruiser's crew and get back to the base."

"They're Dominion, they'll kill us." Jim objected.

"Not if we're the ones saving their arses."

"You would do that?" A new voice spoke up. Frowning, I turned towards the captured Ghost. I couldn't really tell much about her, apart from the fact that she was female, hidden behind the mask and suit as she was. I nodded.

"I can't leave people behind, not when we can help them. In any case, we stand a better chance of getting off this rock together."

"And what about her?" She asked, pointing at Sarah. "You fought us over her, to turn her into, into-"

"Into a monster?" Sarah asked quietly. I moved to say something, but she held up a hand. "Yes, that might be what I am now. But as long as I can control it, I will use it to try and help those that need it most. What we have seen so far is nothing, compared to what is coming. So yes, we fought against you to make this happen, and we will fight with you to do what has to be done."

"At the end of the day, saving lives and living free has always been our goal, nothing else." I put in quietly.

The Ghost looked back and forth between us before obviously coming to a decision. "Alright. You think you can get us out of here."

"It won't be quick or simple. But with some time and luck, yes."

She nodded. "You're honest, at least. But we're not done with this." She raised her rifle. "So, what are we waiting for?"

I grinned, drawing a grenade and aiming it. Nova and Zeratul both knew what I had planned and stepped aside. Tossing the grenade down the passage, I turned to Jim.

"Blow it."

The twin explosions rocked the hive, but we had no time to hesitate. All of us charged towards the new hole, knowing that despite the dangers, it was the only way out. The jump wasn't massive, but the fact that there were a lot of stunned Zerg standing outside did add to the complexity. Thankfully, we had taken them off guard, and we came down firing, so they were not having a good time right now.

Right now, we were running on instinct. Land, cut through the Zerg, try and reach the survivors. That was about the extent of the plan.

It ended up being the longest few hundred metres I had ever run. We landed close, but not right beside each other, so we essentially had to defend every direction, while moving. The only reason we survived that run was because of Duke and Sarah.

The defenders had seen us coming and several of the siege tanks began to fire in our direction. Whether they were aiming for us or trying to cover us, I wasn't sure, but the effects were just the same and just as useful for us. We managed to evade the fire, but the Zerg weren't so lucky, giving us at least something of a clear run.

Sarah, however, made the biggest difference. I had never seen the sort of power that Louise had told me she had possessed, and it was difficult to comprehend power on that scale. What Sarah demonstrated was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. She didn't so much slaughter the Zerg around her, as crush them, quite literally in some cases. I could see the conflicting emotions in her, but she never hesitated.

Finally reaching the downed battlecruiser, we vaulted the makeshift barricade, and swiftly helped to gun down the remaining Zerg that were close. As the last of the wave were either mowed down or retreated, I heard several weapons get trained on us. This was always going to be the tricky part.

"Hold your fire." A familiar voice called out. I turned around, taking note of exactly how many weapons were levelled at us, to see a familiar figure approach us.

"Seems to be a bit of deja vu going on, Duke."

Duke didn't look happy. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you, Davis."

"Only one? Dead simple." I pointed skywards. "The fleet's retreated, and we're stuck down here until they can pick us up. Best chance we have of surviving long enough to get off this infested rock is by working together."

"Alongside her?" He nodded towards Sarah.

"Yes. As I said before, I don't expect you to understand my reasoning, Duke. But I think you know me well enough to know that I haven't lost my mind completely. We saved a lot of your people over the last week. You owe us."

Duke's face was carved from stone. "You're asking a lot."

"I'm also giving you your best chance of surviving. I tried to stop you from getting into this mess, remember? It only has to be temporary, long enough for us all to get out of here, then we can go back to our little dispute without having someone else muscle in on the action."

Duke did at least look contemplative. Finally, he nodded. "Alright, Davis. As you pointed out, we're not likely to get off here any other way. But you better have a plan."

I grinned. "General, you know I  _ always _ have a plan."

It took more than a little bit of work to strip the battlecruiser and get enough vehicles cobbled together to get us back to the base, and we were having to fend off Zerg attacks along the way, but we finally managed to limp back to the main base. Surprisingly, everyone was more wary of the Dominion forces than of Sarah, which was in many ways a relief. As Ros approached, obviously showing the effects of the battle, I allowed myself to show at least a portion of that relief.

"How bad was it?" I asked.

"Bad enough. We lost a lot of good people today. What about the fleet?"

I shook my head. "They weren't going to have a chance to get us off, not without taking far greater losses. All we can do is try and clear an area of safety for them and hang on long enough for them to get back here."

"So, we're stranded, sir?" A young marine came up, obviously looking scared.

I turned to him. The kid didn't look any older than Nova. I knew what I had to do. Turning to everyone present, I stood tall.

"We might be stuck here for a while, but if the Zerg think that we're going to be a push-over, they've got another thing coming. Standing against the odds, no one does that better than us." I turned to grin at the kid. "Don't think of it as us being stuck with them. Think of it as being them stuck with us. We are the elite of two races. They have to work out how to take us down. All we have to do is hang on. The fleet will be back for us, and we'll be waiting for them when it does."

He nodded, a smile beginning to cross his face, as I continued, "This isn't going to be fun, no denying that, but we are going to get off this rock and take the fight back where it belongs. But for as long as we're here, we're going to make damn sure that they aren't going to be evicting us anytime soon."

With a new sense of purpose, everyone began moving about, doing their jobs and getting ready for the hard time ahead. Those whom I had come to trust, as well as Duke, gathered around.

"Well, you sure like picking a fight, Jason." Tychus grumbled.

"Shut up. You love it." Ros stirred, shoving him slightly.

"Well, if we're going to do this, old buddy, we may as well do it properly." Jim put in.

_ "He is correct. The task ahead of us is merely impossible. It should pose no great difficulty for us."  _ Tassadar added.

_ "He does have a point." _ Zeratul agreed.

Sarah nodded. "We've come this far, together. It's going to take something very impressive to stop us now."

Selendis, Nova and I exchanged glances.  _ "Even impressive is not going to be enough." _ Selendis commented.

"We'll get it done." Nova replied.

"As much as you irritated me, Davis, even I can't deny that you've got talent and a damn good team. Just need some luck, now" Duke put in, somewhat grudgingly.

I smiled back. "While we'd take luck, General, we don't need it. We have ammo."

Glancing around us, I took in the scene that I was likely to be familiar with for a while. "Well, no point standing around here. Let's get to work."


	36. Digging In

As was to be expected, there was more than a little difficulty dealing with the unification of the separate forces, given that Duke and the Dominion troops had been trying their best to kill the Raiders and Protoss no more than a few hours ago. Duke himself, while more aware of the situation than his troops, was somewhat wary about the whole idea as we adjourned to the Command Centre.

"Just so we're clear. If I'm unhappy but willing to deal with the idea that I have to work with you to get off this rock, I'm very much unhappy with the idea of having to work with the Protoss, and way beyond that at having to work with her." He gestured towards Sarah, and I saw her wince. While I wasn't perhaps 100% comfortable with the idea myself, I knew and trusted Sarah, and that was more than good enough for me.

"Are you telling me you'd rather stay or fight alone?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "You've been mauled rather effectively, between us and the Zerg. While we've certainly taken some hits, we're also a lot better entrenched and have more firepower left than you, including the only air support left here. We could probably survive long enough to get out of here. Could you?"

Duke gritted his teeth. "Way I see it, you're at least partially to blame for this whole mess in the first place."

"If you recall, I did try rather forcefully to convince you that coming here was a bad idea."

"Yes, you did." He replied. My eyes narrowed; there was something else in his voice that started ringing alarm bells. Before I could start to call him out on it, however, Ros burst into the room.

"You two had better come, we've got a problem."

Great, just what we needed. Following her at a run, we came across a scene that I had hoped not to encounter, and certainly not right off the bat. A pair of Marines stood facing each other, weapons drawn and levelled at each other. Surrounding them was a loose circle of Marines and other Terrans, none of which looked pleased. Further back, a group of Protoss looked just as unhappy about the situation. It would have been a simple matter to deal with, except that one was a Dominion marine, and the other a Raider.

That made everything a lot more complicated.

"What the hell is going on here?" I roared, striding towards the pair and drawing everyone's attention. To my surprise, Duke remained beside me, although whether it was to back me up or not, I couldn't tell. What was more disturbing was the fact that neither combatant lowered their weapon. That irritated me no end. Stepping up to the two, I glared at both.

"Drop your weapons. Now." I snarled.

The Raider glanced at me, then complied. Unfortunately, the Dominion soldier did not. Ramming his gun forward, he knocked out the Raider, then spun to face me. Behind me, I heard hundreds of safeties disengage, and more than a few psi-blades ignite. I could also feel Nova's anger burning behind me. If I had been more prepared, and capable of fighting back my instincts, then I probably would have stood there, gun levelled at my head, and tried to talk the man down.

However, over a decade of combat had honed my instincts too well. Right hand lashing out to catch the barrel of the rifle, I stepped forward, throwing my left fist into the man's faceplate. The man's inexperience was obvious, failing to react in time to either blow, and pausing to blink at the fact his rifle was no longer heading where he wanted it to, rather than trying to dodge the strike aimed at his face. The end result was that, within the space of a few seconds, he was lying on the ground, staring up at me through his shattered faceplate, looking down the wrong end of his own rifle. I could see, in that split second, his eyes widen as he realised just who he had attacked. I also knew that it no longer mattered.

Aiming carefully, I fired, feeling the familiar recoil of the rifle thrust back as the round hit its mark. Dropping the rifle, I stared down at the Marine, who turned his head to see the small crater beside his head. I spoke softly, but there was no doubt that everyone around me heard what I said.

"Let me make this very clear. I can understand that you have some trust issues with us, just as we have with you. Given our recent history, that's understandable. It is also the only reason you are still alive. But this ends now. Without each other, we have little chance of getting off this rock. I don't expect you to like it. But I do expect you to follow orders from your superior. Right now, I believe that's General Duke and he at least understands that concept, as unpalatable as it is for both of us. Is there anything which is unclear about that? Because I will not tolerate any of my people being attacked, by anyone."

The man nodded, fear and relief apparent. Scowling, I stepped back and tossed the rifle to one of his comrades. Turning to one of my own officers, I gestured to the Raider on the ground.

"Sergeant, get him to the infirmary. Patch him up, then keep him in custody for the moment. Wythes, talk to everyone here. I want to know exactly what happened from start to finish. General, if you can spare one of your own officers to assist her, I'd appreciate it. I'll deal with our forces involved in this, ah, incident, if you'll see to your own."

Receiving a nod from the man as he turned to give his own orders, I turned back to Ros. "Sorry to dump this on you, but we have to deal with this now, and I can't afford to give it the time it deserves at the moment."

She nodded. "I'll handle it, sir."

"Thanks."

As I re-entered the operations room in the Command Centre, my already rather sour mood was not improved by the episode outside, Duke spoke up.

"You want my help to get out of here, and it benefits us both to work together towards that, I'll grant you. But I want something in return."

I spun towards him, my anger beginning to overflow. "Aside from your life, you mean?"

He nodded in acceptance of my point. "Yes, though I don't think that it will be anything too difficult for you, or that you would be unwilling to provide in any case."

That got my attention. "Perhaps you'd care to enlighten me, then."

"You told me that I wouldn't believe you if you told me about the Zerg and that they weren't what they appeared. You never really got to explain that, or how you learnt that."

I slumped into the closest chair. I had expected Duke to ask for plans for a  _ Stingray _ or  _ Temeraire _ , or something like that. This was completely out of the blue.

"Why? Why do you want to know?"

Duke fixed me with a serious stare. "Regardless of anything else, a lot of my boys are going to be more than a little nervous about the idea of working alongside you, given some of the people you have with you, and I can't say that I blame them for that."

A monkey could have worked out Duke was talking about Sarah, although the Protoss would likely feature in his thoughts as well. I sighed.

"No, I guess you can't." I tried to assemble my thoughts. On one hand, I was more than a little reluctant to share the story with Duke. I had no delusions that I might be able to get him to turn away from Mengsk, and so I certainly couldn't trust him with the complete story, or really even as much as I had told Sarah and Jim. On the other, we needed to get word out about the reality of the situation, and Duke might be able to reach areas we couldn't. At the end of the day, it didn't matter who the sector was united behind, as long as it was united, although I couldn't see Mengsk being smart enough to put everything aside and changing his behaviour and personality enough for us to agree to follow him again, ever. Besides, there was far too much history there for that to be remotely possible, whether the galaxy stood on the brink of ruin or not. I focussed back on Duke.

"You realise that I can't tell you everything." I stated.

He raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

I snorted. "Haven't you ever heard the saying 'Some things are better left unsaid'? I haven't even told Jim and Sarah everything and you know how close we are. It's my burden to bear, and what you don't know can't hurt you. Trust me Duke, there is a reason why I can't and won't tell you everything. I'll tell you what I can, but you'll have to accept that there are things I won't talk about."

Duke didn't look happy, but he nodded. "I can understand need to know, had to deal with it enough."

I managed a small smile. "You and me both."

For the next two hours, I talked about what we had found. From my suspicions on Antiga Prime the first time we visited, to Tarsonis and the chaos that erupted there, the battle at Shiloh and the revelations we came to afterwards, Sarah's abduction and the rescue mission which followed, and finally the meetings with the Overmind and what we had seen at Sarah's transformation, as well as all the small isolated pieces of information that we had picked up along the way. Three things, however, I did not mention. Firstly, I left out everything about  _ Terra Firma.  _ While I knew that I had to mention the battle, and show at least part of it, I had no desire to clue him in as to exactly what we had obtained there, or some of the tactics we had used. Simply showing the Zerg being interested in Kerrigan was enough, and the comparison to the Psi Emitter didn't hurt either. Secondly, I never mentioned Louise in any way, and I had completely left out anything about our latest visit to Antiga Prime, and the dreams that she had used to communicate with us. While it did leave holes in the story, I knew that I couldn't risk filling them in. Finally, while I mentioned the Ghost that had been such an issue for us to deal with, and what he had apparently done to the Overmind, I didn't mention my suspicion that he served a far more dangerous enemy. The story was fantastical enough, and without mentioning Louise, I couldn't support that claim with anything like the evidence that I knew I would need. Duke sat there, occasionally asking questions to clarify his understanding of a point, but mostly just listened. Finally, he spoke.

"You should get nominated for best writer for this year's awards."

I snorted. "Told you that you wouldn't believe me."

"Oh, I believe you alright. Even though there's a lot of gaps in what you've told me, you have enough evidence to back up the majority of what you said, and lying has never been your style. Crazy as it may seem, I can't come up with another explanation for what you have told me, and I doubt that I will. You're many things, but dumb isn't one of them and even you aren't crazy enough to do what I know you've done without a good reason."

I blinked, stunned beyond all measure. I hadn't expected Duke to take me at face value. He grinned at my astonishment.

"I'm not an idiot, you know. I do know how to look at things objectively." His expression turned grave. "I will have to share this with my officers, however. They need to know, or we'll have a riot before long."

I nodded, conceding the point. "I can't argue with that, but I would ask that you be at least as discrete as you can be."

He snorted. "Don't worry about that, the majority of people would laugh at me all the way to the asylum if I spread this around. Give me a couple of hours to fill my boys in. We also need to work out what we have to work with."

"About that. I need a favour."

Duke raised an eyebrow but allowed me to continue.

"The only way we're going to have a chance here is to stay ahead of the Zerg. To do that, we need over-flights at regular intervals. The Observers that the Protoss have will help, but we can't get them past the defensive lines to penetrate far enough to be of much use. We need manned flights with daring and skilled pilots in capable craft to stand a chance at evading any hostile response and getting us the data that we need."

"And you want me to lend you suitable pilots."

"If you have them and they are willing to volunteer. It's a high-risk job, there's no denying that. I'm going to see who I can find as well, but we need everyone we can get."

He shrugged. "I'll see what I can do." He left, the door closing behind him. I glanced at the others, all mostly silent.

"What do you think?" I asked.

Sarah shrugged. "I couldn't read any signs that he was lying. There was more than a little fear and unease, though."

"So, he's rattled." Nova concluded.

"Makes sense. He's in deep now, and it's not something he's used to." Jim replied.

_ "Will he co-operate with us?" _ Tassadar asked.

I nodded. "He knows he has no choice but to. He knows that if we're right, this is bigger than anything we've ever faced before. He can't afford to fight against us, and definitely not right now." I sighed. "Jim, Tassadar, you heard what I said to Duke. We need top-level pilots. Can you work out who we have left that might qualify and see if they're willing?"

The pair nodded, turning to another terminal. Nova wandered over to me. "One thing confuses me a little. Why didn't we use the Arbiters?"

"Get recalled out, you mean? A few reasons. Firstly, the Arbiters weren't at full power, and even if they were, it would have taken more than one recall per ship to get everyone out. At full power, the delay might have been small enough to work with, but it's unlikely. Anything less, and it would be a near death sentence for those left, and Duke's men. Secondly, they couldn't exactly recall everyone nice and neatly back onto their own ships, it's called mass recall for a reason. We'd need a wide-open space free of Zerg to recall to, and then we'd still need to board everyone. Such areas are a little thin on the ground around here, even the orbital platform is infested to hell and back. So, lack of space, and the Zerg would be on us too fast." I glanced towards Sarah briefly. "Finally, the Overmind trusted us to make sure Sarah gained not only control over her powers and a new form, but also the Zerg. We're not going to be able to do that any better from anywhere else than here."

Nova frowned, considering my words. "Things never can be that easy, can they?"

I snorted, "You expected differently?"

Turning back to the others, I gestured towards the main screen.

"Let's work out exactly what we have and what we can do with it."

Over the course of the next couple of hours, we all reviewed what we had and what we could do with it. In all, we had around 150,000 Raiders and Protoss fit for battle, in support roles or capable of filling either role. When it came to ground combat, we were not perfectly equipped, but we certainly had enough to hold the Zerg at bay for some considerable time. While most of our ground forces were infantry, we also had a fair number of ground vehicles and the resources and capability to produce more, and the munitions to supply them. However, our biggest hole was in air and mobile anti-air capability. We had absolutely no battlecruisers or carriers left in orbit, and no real way of manufacturing any, even if they could be manned. The Arbiters had retreated with the fleets, leaving the Stingrays as our largest air unit, and we had just sixteen of them. Wraiths and Scouts were present, but in short supply. We had few Science vessels as well, but for the most part, we could compensate with the Observers which we could manufacture and deploy with ease. As for ground to air forces, Dragoons, Marines, Ghosts, High Templar, Archons and Goliaths were the only real means of combating an air assault outside of the base, and I knew we would have to go on the offensive if we were to stand a chance. Marines would have to mass-fire to do much, leaving them seriously out-gunned and vulnerable. Ghosts, Archons and High Templar were far too important in other roles to rely on for such support. Dragoons were not the most effective of answers to an air attack due to their bulk and speed (or rather lack thereof), and producing more was not a simple task. Goliaths were our best option, but they too had their issues. We could build and arm them but manning them was a whole different matter. I was familiar with the training requirements of the Goliaths, and they were rather extensive. To be able to retrain infantry to pilot them was a serious undertaking.

In short, we had a serious gap in our armoury and filling it was not going to be a simple task. When Duke brought his officers across a few hours later, he wasn't able to help much in that regard either.

"I'm afraid we're in much the same boat as everyone else. Ground combat, we can handle, but air and anti-air? We're rather short-handed there."

I grimaced. Jess had analysed the last set of images Matt had been able to take before he retreated, and at last we knew there was something worth hunting for. But without protection from aerial assaults, we weren't going anywhere any time soon.

In the end, it was Nova who hit on the solution.

"Can we make something to fill the gap?"

Everyone turned to look at her, stunned. Most of Duke's people had difficulty hiding their amusement, although Duke and two women, one of which was the Ghost we'd spared, looked to be giving the idea serious consideration.

"You want to build something from scratch?" Duke's executive officer snorted.

I blinked, as Nova's idea began to gain some purchase in my head. "Who said we had to build from scratch?" Spinning around to face the centre console, I began to look at what we could make and man. Only one real option arose.

Vultures.

I had long despised the things, despite Jim's apparent love affair with them. I had found them too lightly armed and armoured for the sort of tactics I preferred. But perhaps this was the chance to redeem them somewhat.

Bringing up the Vulture blueprints, I began to expand on Nova's idea. "Our best chance would be to modify the Vultures to give them capabilities in other areas. With that, we might be able to side-step the whole problem altogether."

Duke considered the idea. "You do realise that that has never been done before, outside of a controlled weapons lab with known conditions. We have no idea how they will perform until they get put into combat, and that's assuming that we can even create them in the first place."

I nodded. "Perhaps. Only one way to find out." I turned to face Jess's avatar. "Jess, get hold of our top engineers and ask them to join us."

"Of course, Commander."

Duke frowned. "You really think it's possible?"

"The engineers retro-fit vehicles and ships with new components all the time. It's not that different to what we're talking about now."

"Hmm. Well, since we have some time, I asked around about what you were after."

I raised an eyebrow. I hadn't expected a response that quickly. Duke waved the two women I had noticed earlier over. Gesturing to the Ghost first, he introduced her.

"I understand you've already met Kara Vaessen. She's a skilled Ghost that recently joined us."

I interrupted, surprised. "Joined?" I turned towards her. "I was under the impression that Ghosts weren't permitted a lot of free will, certainly not enough to change loyalties on their own."

She smiled coldly. "No, the Confederacy was pretty strict on that count. I got lucky, if you want to call it that. My controlling implants were faulty, so I was able to escape their grasp, as well as keep a few extra tricks that they would have taken off me."

I looked at her, trying to evaluate her. After all, she had been shooting at me a few hours ago. A raised eyebrow was the only indication that she was examining my thoughts, but I had been careful to stay away from anything that might be dangerous in the wrong hands.

"You're willing to do something like this?"

She snorted and nodded towards Sarah. "All through the training, I got brought up on stories about her. Best of the best and all that. Then I heard the rumours about what happened to her at the Confederacy's hand, and a few things since. Suddenly aiming for the top doesn't seem to be that appealing anymore."

My eyes narrowed. "So why try to kill Sarah?"

She flinched, looking unsure. "I don't actually know."

Duke, able to read the storm that was brewing on my face, intervened. "Davis, despite appearances, we never sent a team to kill Sarah. They simply vanished, and the first we knew of where they had gone was when you all came bursting out of that hive, with Kara."

"Then why did you try and crash that battlecruiser on us?" I shot back.

He grimaced. "Someone hacked our systems, even as they were failing. They gained control just as the Zerg hit us. We had just enough control to send out an emergency call, but that was it." Anticipating my furious and disbelieving reaction, he drew a data disc from his jacket. "The last moments from our data recorders. They'll confirm it, and I doubt we could make a forgery to get past that AI of yours."

I took the disc, still less than happy with what they were telling me. Turning back to the troubled Ghost, I replied, "How can you not know why you tried to kill someone?"

"I remember someone talking to me, then the next thing I know, that Protoss of yours is dragging me up from the ground. There's nothing in between."

"Nothing?"

She and Duke both shook their heads. "We've checked. You know we can review a Ghost's memories?" At my nod, he continued, "Despite the faulty implants, that function remained, but there is nothing of that mission at all. Even more concerning though, was that whatever took control of Kara and that team, it wasn't through the implants."

That rocked me back on my heels. That shouldn't be possible. But then, that was summing things up for our recent history.

She nodded, "No, it shouldn't be possible. But back to the point. Regardless of anything else, you could have killed me, or left me to die. You didn't. I'm good enough to do the flying you need, and I owe you."

"As simple as that, huh?"

"Unless you have an issue with that."

"Quite a few, but none of which are enough to say no." I smiled slightly. "Thank you."

She inclined her head as I turned to the other woman. She smiled, her stance almost reminiscent of Sarah in happier times, although she possessed a far slimmer build, brown hair and brown eyes. "Heard a lot about you. Nice to finally meet you face to face."

I inclined my head slightly. "Have we crossed paths, then?"

She laughed clearly. "You might say that. The last time was at Dylar."

I blinked. "You flew the  _ Hyperion  _ through the shipyards. You were the opposing pilot."

She grinned. "So, good enough to meet your standards?"

"Good enough? I've never come across a pilot as good as what you showed that day. I was crazy doing that with the  _ Liberator _ . Doing what you did with a battlecruiser, well that's a hell of an audition performance."

Her grin widened. "Joanne Duke, reporting for duty."

I shook my head in disbelief. Of all the things I had expected, Duke having a child was not one of them. He'd kept  _ that _ very quiet. "The hits just keep on coming with you."

The elder Duke laughed. "That's my daughter, all right. She was a handful to raise, especially trying to keep her hidden."

"I can imagine."

She bumped her father gently. "Behave."

I smiled. It was obvious that the Edmund Duke I had known was nothing like the man he was with his daughter around. He became not just a real person, but someone I could actually respect, with her presence. Seeing the engineers starting to come in, I nodded. "Alright. I'll go through exactly what I need with you two later."

Turning to the engineers, I noticed how ill at ease they looked. "Relax, you're here to help us bounce some ideas around, not get keel-hauled for something you've done."

The relief on their faces was palpable but vanished as soon as I continued. "How difficult would it be to modify existing vehicle blueprints and build them?"

The look of blank shock would have been priceless in any other situation. Finally, one of the Dominion engineers spoke up.

"Are you kidding? Nothing like that has ever been attempted before."

Nova snorted. "Everything's never been tried before, until someone dares to attempt it."

The engineer continued as if he hadn't heard her. "Sir, we're field engineers. Give us a battlecruiser or a siege tank, we can pull it apart, overhaul it and put it back together, better than new, no problem. But this, it just isn't our area."

I frowned. I was reasonably sure that it was possible to do, though I was no full-time engineer. At the very least, it should be able to be considered. Before I could give voice to those thoughts, another engineer stepped forward, Sergeant Meek.

"I know what you're thinking, sir. It might be possible, but we'd need specialised equipment and resources that I'm not sure we have."

I looked at him. "I know we have all the parts that we'd be likely to need, so what would you need to do this?"

He shrugged. "Top level AI, a design engineer and one of those construction design and modelling software suites that they always go on about. Without those, we have no chance. Even with them, it's not going to be simple."

"Is that all that would be needed?" Nova asked.

The other engineer snorted. "Is that all, she asks? None of those exactly grow on trees, let alone get deployed with front-line units. Top level AIs? You don't see them outside of top-level research facilities. Design engineers? The training involved is far more intensive than you might think. There's only a handful of them around, again, mainly in top-level facilities. And that software system? It's expensive, complex and very difficult to master. I doubt that there are more than a dozen copies of it in the sector." He scoffed. "You may as well ask for a planet in your hand, little girl."

Nova's eyes blazed. Fortunately, Ros interrupted before she could express her displeasure. "Commander, it occurs to me that we may actually have what we need."

Duke's eyes snapped towards her. "We do?"

She shrugged and gestured towards Jess. "Top level AI, you said? They don't get any better than Jess here."

"She's right." I confirmed. "You up for this, Jess?"

"I am perfectly capable of performing to the required standard, Commander." Jess replied somewhat haughtily.

Nova laughed; her irritation forgotten. "As if we doubted that."

Duke smiled. "So, top-level AI. What about the software?"

Ros's grin became feral. "General, we have two types of highly experimental prototype units here, and scaled down versions of such software are often left with them to help designers record real-life situations and how those units respond to them, to allow for modification with more accurate data. They may not be quite as advanced as the full versions you'd see in the design labs, but they  _ are _ designed to take existing designs and modify them."

I slapped my head, annoyed that I had forgotten that fact. "Jess?"

"I am already searching the  _ Liberator's _ data banks, Commander, but it would appear that Lieutenant Wythes is correct. I have found traces of such software within the data banks and I believe that we will be able to find the full system as she described there."

Ros turned back to me. "Two out of three. And as I recall, you and I did at least some of the design work on the  _ Stingrays, _ including some modelling work with that very software, and there's at least a few other members of the design crew for the  _ Temeraires _ here as well."

My grin matched hers now as we turned back to face Meek, his expression as delighted as our own. "Three for three, I think."

He nodded. Leaning forward, he looked closely at the Vulture specs in front of him. "So, what do you need?"

In the end, we didn't just look at the Vultures, although we did spend a lot of time focussed on them. But almost every vehicle or ship we had, including some of the Protoss designs once Tassadar and Selendis started getting seriously involved, was reviewed, its capabilities discussed and the possibilities for improvement considered. Given that we had plentiful parts and resources, an expert team of engineers and some of the sector's best military minds all working to come up with ideas, I was confident that we could come up with what we needed. Jess had quickly found the software suite and Ros and I gave the engineers a quick lesson in its use. With plenty of ideas for them to work with and, now that they knew it was possible, plenty of will as well, things were looking up. As they, along with most of Duke's command staff, trooped out, still loudly discussing various ideas, I turned back towards Kara and Joanne, but held up a hand to stop them. Something else had occurred to me, which I wanted to discuss.

"You two were awfully quiet through all that."

Sarah and Jim jerked slightly, as they realised that I was talking to them. Despite the chaos of the discussion, I had noticed that neither had really taken part, though they had evidently been discussing something themselves. I was more than a little curious as to exactly what was going on. Sarah was the first to reply.

"Given everything, I thought it was best to stay out of the spotlight."

I raised an eyebrow. While I could understand her opinion, to a degree, I certainly didn't agree with it. The sooner everyone got used to the reality, the better. Jim, seeing that I wasn't completely satisfied by the answer, chose to expand.

"We were discussing an alternative solution to our problems."

That caught me by surprise. I wasn't sure straight away what exactly they could have come up with, but the answer hit me quickly. It was Jim and  _ Sarah _ talking about an alternative - an alternative that they didn't seem to keen on sharing with people generally. There could only be one possibility, and it was one that had been in the back of my mind as well.

"I can see why you're not exactly advertising it, if you're thinking what I think you are. But it is something we need to explore, I suppose."

The others looked at me in confusion. I rolled my eyes and waited for them to get it. Duke was first.

"You are out of your mind." He exploded.

I stared him down. "It's something that has to happen sooner or later. I don't think any of us like it, least of all Sarah, but it has to be done."

Joanne looked between us. "Little lost here. Mind explaining what you're all on about?"

I sighed. "Sarah and Jim are suggesting we try and get some Zerg reinforcements."

She blinked and utter silence reigned for the next minute. Finally, she spoke. "You're barking."

"That is true."

"You are completely and utterly crazy."

"That is also true."

"It's insane, too high a risk for a small reward."

"That is  _ not _ true. If anyone can take control of even a part of the Swarm and use it safely, it would be Sarah. Long-term, we need to be thinking along those lines anyway, so if it's at all possible and," I turned to Sarah, "you're willing to do it, I think we need to try."

She nodded. "Jim and I have come to the same conclusion. I can sense a small hive cluster just north of our position. It's not well defended yet and we might be able to take control of it."

I raised an eyebrow. "You think you can do that?"

"One of the tricks the Overmind taught me, along with sensing the Zerg and their intentions."

"Their intentions?"

She nodded grimly. "They are massing. I can't tell where they're planning to attack yet, but they will come, and soon."

That piece of news was unwelcome, but not overly surprising - although, if things worked out, we might be able to use it to our advantage. Nova evidently caught at least some of that thought.

"What crazy idea are you working on now?"

I gave her my best innocent look. She, of course, didn't buy it.

"Jason." She growled.

Chuckling, I grinned. "Well, as it happens..."

I explained what I was thinking. By the end, Jim and Joanne were in stitches, Nova's grin was as big as mine and even the Protoss seemed amused. Sarah was contemplative, while Kara and Duke were simply shaking their heads.

"I'd almost forgotten what working with you was like." Duke commented.

I turned my grin on him. "Good thing that I can remind you, then. You think it will work?"

Sarah nodded slowly. "The timing is the key part, but we've pulled off worse before now."

"It does have its risks, though." Duke commented.

"I know, but all that sitting behind our lines is going to do is whittle us down and wipe us out. The only way that we will stand a chance is to be daring. And let's face it, who would ever expect us to try this?"

Selendis gave a delighted laugh.  _ "He has a point. No one would ever expect something this crazy. Not even the Zerg." _

"So, we have a plan. You'll need a few squads to pull it off, but that shouldn't be too hard to manage. It's the last stage that I don't like the most." Duke mused. "As Sarah said, the timing is the key, and we'll have to do that on the fly. By then, the Zerg will know what we're up to and be well and truly pissed."

"Perhaps, but they can only focus their attention on us so much at a time. We've got a chance, and if we're fast enough, then we can pull it off."

"Besides," Jim chuckled, "making it up as we go along is what we do best."

Of course, we needed one big thing to happen before we could put the plan into action, which was completely out of our control. But there was still plenty of other things to do first. Beckoning to Kara and Joanne, Nova, Ros and I led them across the base to the  _ Liberator _ . Despite my desire to keep information about the ship out of Dominion hands, I knew that the pair were going to have to find out more about it if they were to be of any use. As we walked, I signalled Jess to gather the other pilots that had volunteered for what I had in mind and have them meet us on board as well. Joanne smirked as we reached the ship.

"Finally get to see inside this piece of junk."

I grinned back. "This 'piece of junk' kicked your arse as I recall, including the old and decrepit pilot flying said piece of junk."

She shot back, "Must have had a good day."

"Keep telling yourself that." Ducking through the airlock, we headed for the tactical room, and I was pleased to see the others already waiting. Quickly making introductions, I moved on to the meat of the discussion.

"All right. As you know, what ships we have left here are all we have for air support, and the  _ Stingrays _ are the only capital ships we have left. That means that the recon work we'd normally do from orbit is going to have to be done with them."

"So, I take it we won't be working from orbit, then?" One pilot asked.

I shook my head. "Take too long to get up there, and it's hardly beyond the Zerg's reach."

"Why  _ Stingrays? _ The Observers the Protoss have would be much better for recon, given they're always cloaked. Even Wraiths would be a better bet."

"Not for this. For short range recon runs, I'd agree with you, but we need to get deep behind their lines. The defences that the Zerg have set up are too tight for an Observer to find a way through, and the Wraiths aren't tough enough to be able to run the gauntlet.  _ Stingrays _ are the only ships fast enough, powerful enough and strong enough to have a chance at making the runs we need, and even then, it's going to need the best of the best."

That sunk in quickly as they took my meaning. Outrunning the air forces and surface to air rounds was difficult at best, which was why I was planning the way I was. With luck, the Stingrays could do some serious damage to the ground defences, especially if we could provide them with some support, and then outfly the Zerg flyers as they took their readings. It was dangerous, but we had no choice, given what we needed to know. I was just thankful that we still had all of the Stingrays left. More than anything, they were our ace in the hole, and we were going to have to rely on them if we were to succeed. I brought up the last set of scans that the  _ Hyperion _ had taken.

"This is the last lot of data we managed to get from orbit. What we need is to chart the differences in Zerg positions, strengths etc, deep within their lines, so we can gauge what we're likely to have coming." I indicated a number of odd shaped signals on the scans. "We're especially interested in these, and the defences around them."

"What are they?" Kara asked.

"We're not completely sure, but we suspect that they are a key part of the Zerg command structure." Nova replied. "The Overmind referred to organisms called Cerebrates, and we think that's what they are. Obviously, they are targets of opportunity if possible, but returning with the information and keeping the ships as intact as possible is the priority."

"So, we have to break through the Zerg lines, collect as much data as possible, do whatever damage we can and then break back out again? And rinse and repeat until bored and then some?" Joanne asked.

I nodded. "That's about the size of it."

She shrugged. "Sounds like fun. When do we start?"

I smiled. "Once we've got our anti-air defences sufficiently established so we won't need to rely completely on the  _ Stingrays _ . You'll fly with Ros, Kara, run with Nova. They'll get you both up to speed. The rest of you, keep to your standard assignments. Any questions?"

One pilot raised his hand. "For the record, this is a suicide mission, isn't it sir?"

I grimaced. "You could probably argue that, yes."

He grinned. "Good. We seem to do better when we're doing those."

Ros snorted. "Fair point there."

I nodded. "All right. Stay in contact but try and get some rest. I'm hoping that we won't need to call on you soon, but I do want to start those runs in the next day or so, and I want you all at your best. Dismissed."

I'd tried to put it off, but I knew I couldn't ignore the events of the morning. Duke felt the same way and met me outside the  _ Liberator _ . Together, we headed towards the barracks, discussing the morning's incident and how we needed to react to it. Thankfully, we both agreed on a course of action very quickly. As we entered the barracks and headed towards the detention section, my mood soured as I considered exactly how I needed to respond. Ros had done her usual quick work and given me a full run-down of the incident before the discussion with the engineers. What she told me was not pleasant in the slightest.

The Raider had apparently started the confrontation, referring to the Dominion by various unpleasant and insulting terms. While I couldn't really find fault with the facts of the Raider's diatribe, agreeing with at least some of the sentiments, I did have major issues in the fact that he had chosen to do so within hearing of the Dominion forces, evidently hoping to provoke a fight. I was more than a little furious that he had continued to compound the problem. When the Dominion Marine in question, having overheard the remarks, approached him, asking for an apology, he not only refused, but further aggravated the situation, insulting and threatening the Marine.

As much as I hated to admit it, despite the fact that the Dominion Marine had not backed off, it was my guy in the wrong and so up to us to ease the issue and the tension that had been caused. So, I wasn't in the best of moods when I entered the detention section and saw the two combatants in their cells. The Raider gulped, obviously realising just how bad things were for him. I nodded to the Dominion Marine.

"You want to take him somewhere else for the moment?" I asked Duke.

He nodded grimly, gesturing to the guard to unlock the cell before roughly grabbing his arm and dragging him off somewhere. I turned back to face the Raider.

"What exactly do you have to say for yourself?" I said coldly.

He muttered and mumbled unintelligibly. What little patience I had left was fast evaporating.

"When I ask you a question, I expect to be able to understand the answer. Now, answer the question."

He straightened slowly and looked me in the eye. "I was out of line in expressing my opinions, sir."

I raised an eyebrow. "Out of line? Insulting, belittling and threatening an ally, even a temporary one, is more than just 'out of line'."

He snorted. "They'll never be an ally, sir. They are useless f-"

My temper had finally reached boiling point and the parade-master's voice that I had once had directed at me as a raw recruit came blasting out of my mouth.

"DO NOT FINISH THAT SENTENCE!" I roared. "YOU WOULD THINK THAT YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND JUST WHAT POSITION WE ARE IN RIGHT NOW! YOU WOULD CERTAINLY THINK THAT YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND JUST HOW DEEP A HOLE YOU'VE DUG FOR YOURSELF!"

I took a deep breath, attempting to get my temper under control, before continuing. "Have you, by some sheer fluke, managed to overlook the fact that there are quite a large number of Zerg around us, that would like nothing better than to wipe us out? Have you missed the fact that there aren't that many people here to defend our position? Have you not comprehended the fact that, right now, we are rather short on allies and firepower and we need absolutely every man and woman we can get? Has it escaped your grasp of common sense that causing trouble with someone that is currently helping to guard your back is, in practically any way imaginable, a rather bad idea? Are you that short on brain power?"

The glare that he was shooting at me was cold, but I knew that if looks would kill, he would almost certainly have been fried by the intensity of my own.

"Believe me, I have my fair share of issues with the Dominion, but there's a couple of things to consider. Firstly, the majority of the problems that we've had with the Dominion, and the Confederacy before it, haven't been caused by the soldiers taking orders, but the absolute corrupt and morally bankrupt arseholes that are running the show. While the soldiers have their share of blame to answer for, it's ridiculous to start trouble for the sake of it. Secondly, as I said, we need each other if we're going to get off this rock, because the only ones that benefit from us fighting each other are the Zerg. So, the only ones you've helped by doing what you did was them. Finally, your actions not only reflect on you, but your squad-mates and us all. You were unprofessional, arrogant, rude and a top-notch moron, and now I have to clean up the mess you made."

By the end of my tirade, the man had been reduced to a shuddering mess. Disgust was all I had for him right now. Movement behind me alerted me to the return of Duke's return with his Marine and one look told me that they had heard at least part of my dressing-down of the man. I shook my head, still furious.

"I think I've said all that I care to the pair of you. You happy to stick with what we agreed, General?"

He nodded. "I think it will teach the pair of them a valuable lesson."

"Good." I gestured to the guard to release the Raider and he shuffled over to beside the other Marine.

"The pair of you are assigned to kitchen and latrine duty and whatever else we can come up for the next month, together, whatever shit-kicker duties we can come up with. The only reason you're not in a cell or worse is that we can't afford to waste people right now. So, you two can free up someone who is actually better at dealing with reality to do your jobs. Report to the mess for orders." My voice dropped in temperature. "Now, get out of my sight."

Neither man took any convincing. Once they had gone, I slumped against the wall and looked across at Duke. "You'd think I was used to dealing with things like this. I'm sorry about this."

He shrugged, philosophical about the situation. "We both knew that this was going to be a problem. Better to deal with it now than let it fester."

"Yeah, like we don't have enough to worry about." I straightened. "We'd better get back to it. The Zerg aren't going to wait around for us to get ready for them."

After dealing with the Marines, we all found ways to keep ourselves occupied. I had quickly noticed on my return that Sarah had disappeared, and no one was quite sure where she'd gone. It didn't take a genius to work out she was feeling more than a little out of place. Finally, I managed to work through enough of the mind-numbing minute details that were the bane of my job, shoved the rest off to Ros and Duke, who were very effusive with their thanks for the added workload (or at least so I assumed, not staying long enough to actually understand precisely what they were yelling at me), and went looking for her. After a few minutes, I managed to find her at the top of a relatively private small hill, well inside our lines but not actually manned. I sat down, looking over the rather hellish landscape and Sarah slowly sat beside me. I gave her a soft smile.

"Been a hell of a time, these last few weeks."

She snorted. "You're telling me. If you'd told me two months ago that we'd be in this position, I'd have laughed you out of the airlock. But now..."

She shuddered and leaned in close, wrapping one of her arms and bone wings around me, careful to keep the very long and sharp claws that now ended her hands from piercing me. I followed suit, putting an arm around her shoulders. The pair of us stayed that way for a while, simply taking a degree of comfort from the other. While an observer might have thought that there was love between the pair of us, I knew that it was simply a sibling bond that we had forged through months of battles and shared experiences. She was the little sister I always watched out for, and I was the big brother she could count on to watch her back. No matter what else had changed, that had not. She chuckled slightly, evidently reading that much in my thoughts. Finally, she spoke again.

"I'm scared, Jason."

"Can't say that I blame you, Sarah." I replied. "Still, I know I've said it before, but I don't think anyone else would be able to have gone through what you have, and still be sane. You're strong, stronger than you think, and not just corset for armour? What on earth was the Overmind thinking when he suggested that?"

She actually laughed, the kind of full-blown sound of pure delight and amusement that I hadn't heard from her in some time. She gave me a quick squeeze.

"Trust you to find the holes in other people's ideas."

I shrugged. "It's proven to be rather useful over time."

She nodded, her smile fading. "You do remember what you promised, don't you?"

I shivered. That was one conversation that I really wasn't keen on thinking about again. "Yes, Sarah. I know what I promised, and I will stick to it. But if you expect me not to try to do everything else first to avoid that, then you're crazy."

"I know, but you may not have that option." She drew my attention towards her, looking into my eyes. "Don't ask me how I know, but I do know this. You are the only person that would be able to stop me. Not Nova, not Jim, not even Zeratul or Tassadar. You."

I snorted. "Those psionics of yours make that pretty unlikely, Sarah. That's a major advantage that you would have in any fight against me."

"Maybe, but you dealt with that Ghost well enough, despite that disadvantage. If not for my bad timing, you'd have killed him."

I shook my head. "I'm not so sure of that. Something about that guy doesn't add up. He managed to take control of the Swarm, including the Overmind. No human Ghost is powerful enough to do that, not even you and Nova, and even the Protoss wouldn't be able to pull that off. So he either is a lot more powerful than anyone thinks, which is likely given what we've seen of him, or he had another means of control, a backdoor if you like, into the Swarm and the Overmind. Either way, he's a lot more dangerous than he seems. He took me lightly, and very nearly paid a high price for it. He won't make that mistake again, and if you and I were forced to fight each other, I doubt we'd take each other lightly either."

She inclined her head, conceding the point. "Still, there's no reason why you would have to face me in close combat. You're more than capable of finding an alternative way of dealing with me."

"I really don't like this fatalistic tone of yours right now."

She withdrew from me and gazed out over the landscape. "I can feel it, you know. The Overmind being pushed into a corner, slowly but steadily suppressed. I can feel, well whoever the hell that Ghost is, tightening his grip on the Swarm. The Overmind is fighting, but mostly his strength is being used to try and shield me from the effects, otherwise I'd have to fight a lot harder to stay in control. It's only a matter of time until the Overmind either succumbs or we manage to kill him. What happens then?"

That, I had to admit, was an exceptionally good question, and not one I really had an answer to. But it was something that I knew we would have to work out. She nodded, seeing my indecision.

"Still think that I'm being fatalistic?"

I sighed. "I can't blame you for feeling that way. I'm not even sure what I could do to stop it. But I do know that we won't let you fight it alone."

She smiled slightly. "I know. But this is one fight I'm not sure you can help me with."

"That isn't going to stop us, and you know it. Won't matter how long it takes, we'll find a way."

She nodded. "I know." She sighed. "Can you do something for me?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"I want to see if you can still keep up with me." She gave a small grin that I well-remembered. I groaned, but got to my feet, helping her up.

"I couldn't beat you before. Not sure how you think I will now."

"I've got Zerg genes now, remember? You were holding back because you were afraid of seriously hurting or killing me. Not so much of an issue now."

I shook my head. "Still don't think this is going to work out well for me." Still, I took up my position, sword ready. "Why close combat, by the way?"

She shrugged. "I know you're good enough to take me at long range, and I'd never see it coming. Work on the weaknesses first."

I grimaced, then gazed at her, activating my psi-screen. I wasn't foolish enough to think I had a chance of a cinder in snow against her, but that didn't mean I wouldn't try. I took a moment to try and work out a tactic. If it was just her claws, then I would at least have the advantage of reach on her. But those wings, complete with nasty claw points, had a much longer range than my sword, so there, too, I was in a weaker position. Still, she had to be getting used to her new body, so I might just stand a chance.

Without warning, she practically flew at me, claws and wings extended, almost faster than I could follow. The only things that saved me from losing there and then were the finely-honed combat instincts I had developed over years of practice and, I suspected, the fact that Sarah was pulling her punches. Barely ducking under the blow, I rolled, using my sword to deflect any blows Sarah might have tried. So much for her getting used to her new body.

I realised the only way I was going to stand a chance was with a plan, and I needed some distance to come up with one. Sarah, however, was having none of it, slashing and moving almost too fast to see.

It was official. I was well and truly screwed. Her speed was incredible, her strength unbelievable and her senses were evidently beyond exceptional.

Her senses...

In that instant, I had an idea. Granted, it wasn't much of a plan, but it was all I had. First, though, I had to distract her, take her by surprise. She obviously thought I'd be able to go harder on her. Time to test that.

Unleashing the guns built-in to my suit, I fired a quick burst into the sky, right across her face. She flinched back, shock apparent, and stared at me. Evidently, she hadn't expected that. Taking advantage, I lashed out with a quick side kick against her leg, dropping her to one knee. I saw the wince of pain and her eyes lock onto mine. In that moment, I sealed my visor and lightly tossed the armed flash-bang I'd managed to draw in front of her face. The concussion sent the pair of us flying in opposite directions and I heard her scream, both in pain and fury. Staggering back to my feet, I looked around for her, but I couldn't see her. I was more than a little confused by that, until the realisation hit me.

_ Could she still cloak? _

As I felt something slam into me, wrapping itself around and squeezing, I found my answer. Sarah de-cloaked in front of me, her wings wrapped around me, giving me absolutely no room to move. Her face was furious and alien and for a split second, I feared she'd lost control of herself. Suddenly she seemed to snap back, blinking in shock as she took the situation in. She released me instantly and turned away, her face ashen. I stepped up beside her as she started shaking.

"I nearly killed you." She whispered, horrified.

"No, you didn't." I argued.

"Jason, you can't know that. You can't know what-"

"What you were feeling?" I interrupted. "Oh, I know, Sarah. I saw your face and I saw you recognise everything for what it was. If you were going to kill me, you'd have done it. Even subconsciously, you realised I was a friend, despite what I tried on you." I grimaced. "I'm sorry about that."

"No, I'm the-"

I put a finger on her lips. "That's enough. I provoked a reaction and you reacted instinctively. But you stayed in control of yourself. You proved me right, Sarah Kerrigan. That, more than anything, is what matters." I drew her into a hug. "Never doubt yourself, because we never will." I cracked a grin. "Besides, that little embrace of yours was rather interesting. Think of what you could do with Jim like that."

She began to calm down as I talked and snorted at my last comment. "He would go for something like that, wouldn't he? I have to admit, that was a good idea of yours. It threw me off balance for a moment. You're getting better."

I chuckled. "We'll see." As we moved away, I saw her stiffen, and I knew it wasn't anything to do with our little duel. Her eyes went unfocussed, before looking back on to me.

"They're coming."


	37. Rushing the Enemy

I blinked, looking at Sarah. There was only one possible explanation for her behaviour and it both appalled and delighted me.

"Where? When?"

She closed her eyes, concentrating for a second. "Our western flank. Five minutes, at most." She shivered. "It's a full-scale rush."

I turned, beginning to head back to the main part of the base, keying my radio as I went. "Rise and shine, Jess. We've got company."

Her voice came back quickly. "The Zerg?"

"Looks that way. They're heading for our western flank, about five minutes out, Sarah says."

Rather than reply, I heard the general alert ring out across the base. I sent a short command signal across the radio, alerting every commander that they needed to pay attention. Within seconds, they were listening.

"Jim, take a quarter of our reserves and get over to the western barricades. Reinforce that position and prepare for heavy fire. Get another quarter on stand-by."

I heard a brief acknowledgement as I turned my attention to the next person.

"Ros, get the  _ Stingrays _ in the air. We're going to need that air support sooner rather than later. Take Joanne with you."

"Got it. Give us five minutes."

"You've got three."

Tassadar's voice came over next.  _ "Zeratul and I are leading what parts of my force are ready towards the western zone. We will aid in the defence. Selendis is leading the team to aid you in your mission." _

"Glad to hear it."

Duke cut in. "My boys are on their way, except for those couple of squads. You sure about this, Davis?"

"We're never going to have a better time than right now."

"Thought you'd say that."

I reached out to Nova.  _ "Get Kara and head to the briefing room with the rest of the squads. I'll see you there." _

_ "As if I'd do anything else." _ She chuckled.

I turned to Sarah. "You've got your bit worked out?"

She nodded. "I help hold the line until you need me. Good luck."

Striding into the command centre's briefing room, I faced the few hundred people waiting there.

"All right, listen up. You're probably all wondering why you're here instead of helping to repel the Zerg." With perfect timing, Jess brought up the tactical display of the surrounding area behind me. "This is why."

Turning to the display, I continued. "As you can see, the Zerg are focussing a large portion of their force on our western flank, but they can't move their forces through the choke-point fast enough, and our anti-air is strong enough to repel any attempts at air-drops. We also have enough forces stationed throughout the base to ensure that we can knock out any Nydus incursions before they become a real threat. So, we're going to use the distraction the Zerg have provided and launch our own attack." As I spoke, the Zerg appeared on the approach to the western defences, to be met with heavy fire from the siege tanks and bunkers which were providing most of the defence. So far, I hadn't employed the  _ Temeraires _ , since I was both trying to keep their capabilities as secret as possible, to surprise the Zerg, but also for them to act as backup for our own mission. The  _ Stingrays _ , however, were also engaging and showing the Zerg their full force, part of the reason I was confident we could repel the attack.

I indicated the small hive cluster to the north that Sarah had told me about. "This is our target. Now, you might wonder why we'd go to such efforts to destroy a small and relatively insignificant Zerg base, even if it's on our own doorstep. The answer is simple. We're not going to destroy it." I paused, letting them take in what I'd told them.

"We're going to  _ take _ it."

Practically everyone's jaw dropped. Finally, one of Duke's men, Captain Stephen Fry according to the tags on his uniform, spoke up.

"You've got to be kidding. How on earth are we going to do that?"

"Glad you asked, Captain." Gesturing back to the display, I continued. "The key part of any Zerg hive cluster is, surprise surprise, the Hive itself. Everything that the Zerg create, comes from there. Take control of the Hive, you take control of the cluster."

"But how would you do it? Wouldn't the Overmind be able to prevent it easily? Isn't it some big, massive control freak that doesn't allow the Zerg to do anything that it doesn't want?"

"Although simplistic, you're mostly correct. However, because of the deal it had to strike with us, it deliberately infested Sarah Kerrigan without forcing her into a subservient role within the Zerg hive mind structure. She's as powerful as it is, psionically, and that's only likely to improve over time. If we can clear her a path to the Hive, and guard her as she takes control of it, then she can get us that hive cluster."

"You're trusting her? An infested freak?"

My eyes narrowed and everyone else held their breath. Fry seemed to realise he'd taken a step too far. Finally, I spoke.

"Sarah Kerrigan has saved the lives of quite a few people here. Most recently, she made the difference between us escaping the Zerg's initial onslaught and dying." I pointed towards Selendis, Nova and Kara. "If not for Sarah, being infested and all, we would be dead or enslaved, and General Duke would be in the same boat. Do I trust her? Without a doubt. If she says she can do this, then I'm inclined to believe her. She's the only reason we got as much warning as we did of the attack today. Is that enough to satisfy you?"

He swallowed and nodded.

I continued. "Any other issues? No? Right, this is what we're going to do..."

Within half an hour, our small team of specialists was formed up and ready. Nova and Kara were our main scouts, leading a small Ghost team to probe out the outer defences and make sure the Zerg had no little traps for us burrowed safely away. The main force, mainly Marines, Firebats and Zealots but with a lot of Siege Tank and Reaver support along with the odd Vulture, were clustered about a kilometre back from the Zerg base. Selendis, Fry, myself and a small team were about 500 metres in front of them, scanning the base at long range. We'd arranged with Duke that he'd use the various Comsat stations we had set up to scan for hostiles in every direction. The Zerg would detect that, but seeing us scanning everywhere, they would believe that we were not actually heading for them, but simply trying to watch our back while the main attack on our base was under-way. Finally, Nova reported in.

_ "They seem to be fairly lax with their defences. A small cluster of sunken colonies on either side of the base entrance, a few spore colonies behind them and maybe a thousand troops. No Nydus network that we can see, either. We hit hard and fast, then we can pull this off. Stick to the plan, I think." _

_ "Does sound that way, doesn't it? Fall back so you're clear of the line of fire, but we'll need you as spotters for a bit." _

_ "Oh good, some fun stuff." _

I chuckled and activated my comm. "Ros, begin your run."

"On the way."

Over the western side of the main base, I could see Ros bank her  _ Stingray _ around and race towards us. Well not exactly towards us, more like the defences of the Zerg base.

The Zerg knew they were coming, of course - there was no way that they could miss the massive warship closing on the hive, but, given how close they were to the hive, there was also nothing the Zerg could do to actually stop Ros from making her run.

I'd seen and unleashed the  _ Stingray _ 's power from the air and had been impressed. Seeing it from the ground, devastating a target right in front of you, however, was something else entirely. Like an early fighter, Ros came in low and fast, strafing the Zerg base, crippling much of the defensive structures and back-up creep colonies. Many of the defending troops had also gone up in smoke, but there were still enough left to cause us problems. However, we had a nice way to deal with them.

_ "Reavers, launch Scarab salvoes." _ Selendis ordered. Behind us, dozens of Scarabs were fired, racing past us to find their living targets, turning most of the remaining Zerg forces into deep-fried mash. Both Nova and I led our groups up into the base after them, but we had little more than clean-up duty left.

By the time the main force arrived, there wasn't a single living Zerg left, despite the untouched structures around us. I smiled, keying my comm.

"Sarah, we have the hive cleaned out. We're all ready for you."

"On my way." She quickly replied. Glancing back towards where the main Zerg force was fighting, I could see utter chaos, but it was staying in the same area. Sarah hadn't seemed worried, so I figured that our lines were holding. Glancing back around at the men around me, I got back into the current situation.

"OK, listen up. The Zerg aren't going to just let us waltz in and hold here without a fight, so let's make sure we give them one. The creep has retreated from the area enough that we can set up our own defences. I want bunkers and siege tanks at the top of the ramp. Get some missile turrets up around the perimeter, let's not take any chance. Selendis, if you can, I'd like some photon cannons spread around the area as well. Keep the reavers behind the main line until they've re-loaded. Stay alert, people."

Everyone quickly moved in the usual bustle that I was used to in the aftermath of taking a position. A flash of movement to my left signalled Sarah's leap up onto the area where we were. She quickly joined us as we headed for the hive. We all stopped just short of the creep still surrounding it. I glanced at her.

"We can still torch this place if you prefer."

She shook her head. "No. I need to find out if I can do this, and it's better we find out now than when it really matters. But I don't think I'll be able to stop once I've started, and who knows how long it will take."

"We'll hold here for as long as you need, don't you worry about that. You get us the hive, we'll watch your back for you."

She smiled. "As if I had any doubt." Straightening, she faced the hive. "Let's do this." Walking away, she entered the hive and disappeared from view.

"Good luck." I whispered towards her.

For the next few minutes, things were quiet. The occasional larvae that the hive was still spawning were easily dealt with and the Zerg hadn't tried a counterattack. That was a concern. I expected them to at least send some harassment forces or something. Could they really not have worked out what we were planning? I looked over towards the hive. I could see occasional flashes of energy from its spires and its colouration seemed to be changing slightly, but there was little real evidence of anything different.

_ "Jason? You there?" _ Sarah's voice suddenly called in my mind.

_ "Yeah, I'm here. Any luck?" _

_ "Some. I've tried to be fairly subtle so far, not draw too much attention, but I've gone about as far as I think I can without attracting a lot of interest from the Zerg." _

_ "So, in short, we can expect a nice, pretty light show and every Zerg in the area to show up, claiming they have free tickets, that about the size of it?" _

_ "Well, that and free drinks and meals as well." _

I shivered.  _ "Yeah, really didn't need that analogy, Sarah." _ I glanced around the base. We were at least relatively secure, dug in well enough to give the Zerg a headache. We couldn't hold them the way that the main base could yet, but with only one ground entrance, and well defended airspace, we would at least have a good chance.  _ "Do what you need to. We're about as ready as we can be." _

_ "If you say so. Things are about to get interesting." _

A sudden pulse from the hive swept across the area, causing no real effect that I could see to any of the troops, but it obviously meant something to the Zerg.

"Jason? I don't know what the hell you're doing down there, but the Zerg look like they're taking a lot of interest in you now. You've got a second attack wave coming in your direction. Five minutes out." Ros's unease was rather apparent.

Brilliant. Another Zerg attack force barrelling down and, despite the preparations, we weren't nearly as well set up here as at the main base. Still, we had some tricks left. Nova, talking with Selendis, felt my mood change and swiftly came over. Fry, seeing them move, followed suit.

"What's up?" Nova asked.

I grimaced. "We've got incoming. Ros spotted another attack force a few minutes out. Nova, grab Kara and get back to the  _ Liberator _ . I want you two in the air ASAP."

She nodded, all business, and took off, pausing only to grab Kara along the way. I turned to Fry.

"Captain, it's going to have to be up to us to hold off the main attack."

He hesitated. "We might still have time to torch the place and retreat, sir."

I shook my head. "Not an option. Leaving now would mean that Sarah's unprotected, and she can't stop the process of taking control. We're in this until the end, we fight, or we die. There's no alternative."

He nodded. "What do you need?"

"Let's get four ranks across the entrance. Two rows of Firebats, first lying prone, second crouching. Behind them, two ranks of Marines, the second rank can shoot between the first. They are to only engage if the Zerg are likely to run the gauntlet of the bunkers and siege tanks and get in too close to target. Get some marksmen to take up positions around there as well, using the tanks and bunkers as platforms if necessary. Have the ranks alternate fire, I don't want everyone running out of ammo at once."

"I'll see to it." Saluting, he bolted away, gathering up men and calling orders. I exchanged glances with Selendis.

"There's no way the Zerg won't try to go around our defences. An air assault might be difficult for them to pull, but they still have visuals here and creep as well, so Nydus Canals aren't out of the question until Sarah can get control of the hive. I need you and your Zealots to focus on handling any incursions like that. There's no way they can fight at the front lines without fouling up our lines of fire, so that will have to do."

_ "And the reavers?" _

"That depends. Any chance that they can launch the Scarabs over the cliff-face?"

Selendis paused to consider the idea.  _ "It has never been tried, but the construction of the Scarabs should be sufficient to protect it from the initial impact and still be able to function. The reavers are certainly stable enough to position themselves correctly." _

"Good. Then we can line them and the vultures up and pick off the force at a distance. With the missile and photon turrets, we should be well covered from aerial attacks, so we have a decent shot at trimming their numbers."

She nodded.  _ "Then let us make them regret testing us."  _ I could feel both her anger and eagerness for the fight as she drew her rifle. I grinned. At least we had the same idea. Hurrying, the pair of us took up positions at the point where the Zerg would first pass beneath us. As perhaps the two best snipers that were on Char, we would cause a lot of damage before anyone else even got a look in.

Soon enough, the Zerg forces arrived, shaking the ground with a deafening roar as they charged towards us. No matter how many times I had seen it, a Zerg rush was still something that I heartily wished I would never see again. Waiting an extra few seconds so that we could clean up the most Zerg at once, we aimed and fired. What Selendis lacked in the sheer penetrating power of my rifle, she made up for with the superior explosive and psionic power of her own weapon. The sudden chaos as the front ranks of the Zerg were shredded was truly something to see. Already naturally obvious in terms of their disarray, what little order that they had left evaporated with their front ranks. While they kept moving forward, it was more of a boiling, erratic mass than the river flow that had previously characterised their approach.

Suddenly, more explosions flared up around the Zerg lines, but explosions that didn't come from us. Nor had they originated with the forces around us. Selendis and I exchanged startled looks. A quick glance to the sky showed that the  _ Stingrays _ weren't responsible either. So, where the hell had they come from?

Then it hit me. I turned towards the main base, and saw a series of flashes and faint rumblings, almost immediately drowned out by the cacophony of detonations in front of us. It was enough, however, to identify the culprits.

The  _ Temeraires _ had at last made their presence felt.

At ranges that the siege tanks wouldn't come close to being able to reach, they were smashing the Zerg apart. Thousands of Zerg died during each salvo, entire ranks of forces completely devastated. With enough numbers, and better battle conditions, the new tanks would hold off the Zerg indefinitely. Unfortunately, we weren't lucky enough to get those. The Zerg might have been getting torn apart, but they were still able to make progress, reaching the range of the conventional siege tanks and reavers. Even their firepower, as impressive as it was, wasn't going to stop the Zerg from reaching the bunker lines, with the troops waiting for them. As the sudden flashes of light and sound from Fry's position told me that the Zerg had reached them, Selendis drew my attention upwards.

A wave of Mutalisks and Scourge were sweeping towards us, Overlords gathering behind them. We exchanged glances.

_ "Overlords first?"  _ Selendis asked.

"Works for me." I replied.

Switching our focus to the slow-flying bags of flesh, Selendis and I began to devastate the air transports. The only means the Zerg had to respond to our attack were the Mutalisks, and they would have a lot of trouble getting close enough with the ring of anti-air emplacements around us, and  _ Stingrays _ overhead. Unsurprisingly, they chose to maintain their focus on the latter, as they were a far greater threat to the Zerg. But then, I felt the shuddering that I had feared most. Behind us, massive extrusions of flesh erupted from the ground in a terrifyingly familiar shape.

"Nydus canals!" I heard someone yell. Cursing, I swung around, trying to target them without killing any of our own troops. However, a loud roar alerted me to a far bigger problem.

Literally, bigger. After all, staring down an Ultralisk at 50 paces certainly qualifies as a more serious problem than nearly anything else. However, it had something else immediately in mind. For whatever reason, Fry was trying to face the damn thing down. The Ultralisk, however, was having none of it, lunging forward. At first, I thought that Fry was going to be caught by its blades and torn apart. The truth, however, was nowhere near so nice.

It caught him in its jaws. Tossing him up, screaming, it didn't take a genius to know what was about to happen. Without so much as an instant's hesitation, the Ultralisk swallowed Fry whole. I winced, seeing his form being crushed by the mass of muscle. As it finished gulping, it looked around for its next target and its gaze fixed on us.

Selendis turned and saw the same issue. She blinked.  _ "How, precisely, do you plan to deal with this?" _

I shook off my shock and glanced around, taking note of what was around us before I realised how. "With a little application of physics, I think."

The look on her face was almost priceless. It crossed that line as I raised my pistol and fired at the massive monster. At that range, it was little more than a peashooter, but it achieved the desired result.

It got the damn thing's attention.

With a feral roar, it charged, crossing the gap between us with frightening speed. Selendis obviously couldn't believe her eyes. She froze, but then having an Ultralisk charge at you when you didn't have a way to deal with it would do that to most people. Even a Protoss.

I didn't freeze, but then I also had a plan. Continuing to fire at it, I saw the Ultralisk getting noticeably angry, and picking up even more speed. In less than five seconds, it crossed the remaining distance between it and us, its blades slashing madly. There was only one problem.

Neither Selendis nor I were actually there at the end of those five seconds.

Grabbing her, I fired the jump jets just enough to move us back and up, out of reach of the beast, though it continued to try and cut us into mincemeat. However, in the process, it lost track of a few things.

Firstly, something the size of an Ultralisk, no matter how well evolved it was, took some time and distance to stop.

Secondly, it seemed to have forgotten exactly where it, and us, were.

All of this became very apparent to the creature in the next couple of seconds, as it discovered a few truths about the way the universe worked. Namely, that any object that was in motion, stayed in motion, unless some other force acted on it. In this case, the object was the Ultralisk, the motion was its charging run towards us, and the other force was the curious force known as gravity, that had the annoying habit of always working in the same direction, even if you really didn't want it to, which also came into effect as its run took it over the edge of the cliff that Selendis and I had been using as our sniping nest.

For the record, the combination of an Ultralisk's charge at full speed, and gravity accelerating it towards the ground, did rather nasty things to not only the internal organs and life-span of said Ultralisk, but also the several hundred smaller Zerg that were either crushed instantly under the Ultralisk, or smashed to pieces as its lifeless carcass, carried forward by its momentum, ran over the top of them.

Landing, I turned to look at the scene below us. Selendis was obviously still in no small amount of shock. I cracked a grin.

"You know, sometimes I really love proving Newton right."

Selendis finally snapped out of her shock.  _ "When was the last time someone called you crazy?" _

"Had to have been at least an hour ago." I grinned back.

She shook her head.  _ "Well, at least it had its uses. The Zerg will have some trouble getting past that blockade. Someday, you will have to explain exactly who Newton is, but I will assume that they are relevant to this situation." _

"Very much so. In short, he defined the laws of gravity and motion from a piece of fruit falling on his head."

She blinked. I shrugged. "Strange but true."

With the initial threat repelled, we could focus our attention on the remaining problems of Nydus canals overwhelming the area, waves of Overlords coming from nearly every direction, swarms of Zerg attempting to overwhelm our defences and not enough real fire-power to effectively handle all of them at once. The  _ Temeraires _ and local defences were managing to hold back the Zerg ground rush, particularly with the addition of the Ultralisk-shaped bottleneck that they now had to pass, but it was obvious that they were reaching their limits. Selendis's troops and the Terran troops not committed to the main defensive line were successfully keeping the Nydus assault contained, destroying the canals almost as fast as they were appearing, but they too were tiring, as the Zerg began to have the canals surface in very distant portions of the area to maximise the time that they would have to unload.

Our air defences, however, were the most under threat, as we relied primarily on static defences, rather than the more mobile units that I would have preferred. The scourge were almost completely occupying the  _ Stingrays _ , forcing them to evade constant attacks and minimising their chances of engaging the Zerg. The Mutalisks, able to engage ground targets, were ganging up on the static emplacements, particularly the pylons that powered the Protoss section of the defences. While Selendis had them set up in such a way that they could cover for each other, and the shield batteries provided a degree of support as well, the sheer numbers of Mutalisks engaging them had the emplacements under serious threat, enough that it was difficult to drop the attacking force in time. While the Zerg were taking heavy losses on all fronts, they had far superior numbers as well, so they could afford to lose an army better than we could afford to lose a platoon.

Selendis and I were still teaming up and inflicting as much damage as humanly (and Protossly) possible, while Ros was able to fight her way clear of the constant Zerg attacks to provide much needed fire support, but the problem we faced was, slowly but surely, proving to be quite possibly more than we could handle. I'd had to switch back to my main rifle, since I was running low on ammo for the Penetrator, and deal with the reduced damage output. One thing was becoming clear. Without reinforcements, the battle would end only one way and the result would not be in our favour.

Just to add to the fun, another group of Ultralisks erupted out of a new Nydus canal, with several turning towards us. The realisation was immediate. We didn't have the firepower to deal with them.

Thankfully, we didn't have to.

A sudden burst of heavy fire from above rained down onto the Ultralisks, devastating all but one, who staggered but continued to charge at us. Snatching up the Penetrator, I fired my last round at its knee. At the same time, however, a second round rammed through its side and a spurt of blood erupted from its head.

I was more than a little confused, but explanations were quick to come. A remarkably familiar shape moved into position above us, hovering protectively, with another familiar figure leaning out of the open airlock.

Nova had arrived, and Jim had come along for the ride. Startling me, Zeratul decloaked right in front of me, his psi-blades obviously having just been used. Nova brought the  _ Liberator _ low enough to allow Jim to jump down, holding what I recognised as a bag with magazines for the Penetrator. I grinned ruefully.

"Your timing couldn't have been better." I accepted the bag from Jim, swiftly chucking my empties into it after placing the loaded magazines where I would expect to find them.

Jim grinned. "Sorry we took so long, but I figured you'd want us to make sure the rest of the base would hold up to the assault before we came and bailed your arse out."

I nodded. "How are we holding up?"

Jim shrugged. "Duke actually seems to know what he's doing for once. We've had a few probing attacks from the other approaches, but they're still concentrating on here and the west. Mostly here, though; the western side is easing off a little. Obviously, they think that stopping us here is more important than trying to wipe out the base."

"So, whatever they decide to send, we can expect to face the majority of their force here."

"Sounds about right."

"Damn biggest turkey shoot in the galaxy, I say." Tychus commented, having made his presence felt.

_ "Crude, but accurate. The Zerg would seem to be very keen on dealing with us." _ Zeratul added.

"So it would seem. Thanks for that little intervention there, by the way."

Zeratul inclined his head slightly.  _ "You are welcome. I was somewhat surprised that my weapons were able to penetrate so easily. Zealots should be able to be just as effective, but I have noticed that they do not do the same damage that I can." _

That began to ring alarm bells, but I could not understand exactly what that meant. In any case, we soon had other problems to worry about. All around our small group, Nydus canals surfaced again and ejected units. Thankfully, those were mostly Zerglings, but there were a  _ lot _ of them.

Ros and Nova were forced back from us, evading Zerg suicide attacks, at the cost of immediate fire support, though the Zerg were far closer than we would want for that anyway. So, it looked for all the world like the last stand. Tychus, Jim, Selendis, Zeratul and I against hundreds of Zerglings. Looking around, I saw exactly what hell looked like.

It didn't matter.

Forgoing the Penetrator, I readied the MPAC's, as well as my trusty sword. If the Zerg were looking to drag us to hell, I was going to make sure that we had a big escort, and we were going out the way we came in. Fighting, struggling and making a hell of a lot of noise.

The Zerg charged.

Our guns roared.

All hell broke loose.

I thought that we'd faced the Zerg at their might before. But standing where I was, it might as well have been a play-fight before. This was serious, and everyone lifted to the occasion.

Tychus's plan of attack was simple: letting rip with his rifle, bayonet extended. The man must have mowed down scores before the Zerg reached him. Reaching him, however, proved to be a mistake. I saw him wield that rifle with a skill I had rarely seen, cutting Zerg apart before they could even touch him, regardless of how close they got. At one point, he even ripped the head and spine away from its host body and used it like a bloody whip. The man was savage, and all the more deadly for it.

Jim was cold, efficient and absolutely clinical, never wasting a shot and never too busy to cover someone else. The proud ex-Marshal showed all the determination and ability that I had long known he had, but only rarely witnessed on this scale. Like Tychus, he wasn't worried about close combat either, lashing out with savage punches and moving like water to evade a strike. The Zerg couldn't touch him and received only death for trying.

Gods, Zeratul was fast. The mighty warrior struck like thunder and vanished like smoke, often literally. Dancing from one enemy to the next, every blow of his blade or shot from his rifle spelt a bloody end for another Zerg. I had seen Ghosts in action before, and he left them for dead. The venerable Protoss was incredible. Even I had trouble predicting where he would go next, and more often than not, he would seem to simply appear there, without ever having travelled.

If Zeratul struck like thunder, then Selendis was like lightning. More than once, her stabbing blades saved one or more of us from an untimely end and she seemed to have an understanding of the battlefield that was unlike anyone I'd ever seen. Her dance of death had a macabre beauty to it that was both sensual and terrifying. The Zerg either didn't understand that or didn't care; either way, they fought and died at her feet without ever breaking her rhythm.

As for me, I worked on a single rule. The only thing I wanted to be predictable about was being unpredictable. So, I improvised, one moment, gunning down a bunch of Zerglings charging towards me, the next, bisecting a Hydralisk that had come in close. I relied on the others, trusting them to watch mine and each other’s backs, while I sowed chaos, switching from one weapon to another, using the skills that Sarah had spent time helping me develop to lethal effect.

I don't know exactly how many enemies we cut down together. I do know that by the time we were able to concentrate on anything other than the immediate battle, the five of us were standing on top of several metres of corpses. Taking the opportunity to look at the environment around us, I was stunned by the change.

The Nydus canals were completely gone. Not even bodies from them were remaining. There were still Zerg around us, but none were attacking us, or in fact attacking anything. I also noticed that their colouring was slightly different. My eyes widened as I realised what that had to mean. A quick glance and I'd confirmed it.

Sarah had taken the hive.

Once more, we were standing in the middle of a fully functional hive cluster, but now the markings that the Zerg structures carried were different. Sunken and Spore Colonies had grown around the area, defending the hive with a savagery that was all Zerg. Several new Hatcheries had been created and were busy spawning units to cut down the remaining Zerg attackers, leaping over our defending troops or firing from the cliff tops.

The tide had turned at last, and I saw the final reason why.

Sarah was in her element. All the skill and power that we had shown during our little melee was absolutely dwarfed by what we saw her do. She slashed apart Zerglings with her claws and wings. A sudden jump and she had her heels buried within the head of a Hydralisk, while sending streams of psionic energy to tear apart an Ultralisk. Somersaulting off the Hydralisk's dying body, she physically picked it up and threw it at a swarm of Zerglings, with enough force to bowl them over like a bunch of skittles. She plunged her hand into the ground, ripping out a Defiler and wielding it like a mace, before draining its life-force and unleashing another wave of psionic energy towards a group of Mutalisks above. If ever a goddess of war was incarnate, then I was looking at her.

Finally, the Zerg elected to retreat, rather than continue to face our wrath. Jim and Tychus were barely able to stand and I wasn't much better. Selendis and Zeratul didn't look tired, but they too were obviously feeling the effects of the battle. Sarah, on the other hand, despite the sheer power that she had been expending, looked like she had barely warmed up. I grinned as she leapt back up to us.

"Looks like you had some fun."

She grinned back. "Couldn't let you have it all. But you were at least kind enough to leave me something." Around us, the Zerg creatures that Sarah had spawned were gathering up the remains of the fallen Zerg, dragging them back to the hive. Sarah saw me looking and shrugged. "Apparently, biomass is incredibly significant for the Zerg. It provides a lot of fuel to strengthen the hive and spawn more Zerg. Seems only fair for us to use them like that."

I snorted. "There is a little irony in that."

_ "Indeed." _ Zeratul agreed.

_ "Zeratul?" _ A new voice spoke, a trace of hostility present. All of us raised our weapons, stunned. Behind Zeratul, a group of what could only be Dark Templar revealed themselves, evidently surprised beyond measure, but ready for combat.

_ "Vorazun?" _ Zeratul looked even more shocked.  _ "What brings you here?" _

_ "My mother believed that you needed assistance after she lost contact with you. And we find you here, consorting with our worst enemies. How do you propose to explain this away?" _

I blinked. "I'm going to assume that by that; you don't like the fact that he's working with us."

_ "In particular, I think she means me."  _ Selendis added.

I looked at her, before I remembered what she and Tassadar had told me about the Dark Templar. Closing my eyes to fight off the sudden headache, I grimaced. "If we're going to have a heated discussion about this, can we at least go somewhere a little more private? The middle of a battlefield is not the best place for this."

The leader, who I assumed to be Vorazun, glared at me but nodded.  _ "Very well, human. But I warn you-" _

is if you choose to attack us, or those under our protection. Good enough for you?" The glare that she had directed at me, I returned with significant interest. I wasn't in the mood to play nice, having several near-death experiences within the last hour tended to do that.

Slowly, she nodded, but I could see that this wasn't going to be an easy discussion.

It took an hour for us to sort the rest of the base out. There was the usual mountain of things to do, from repairs to reloading and all the administrative crap that came with an army like this. Finally, however, we reached a point where I could join the Protoss for their discussion.

To say that things were tense would be an understatement. On one side of the room stood Vorazun and her group of Dark Templar, fists clenched and ready to fight, glaring furiously across the room. On the other side stood most of the Protoss Commanders that had accompanied Tassadar; they, too, were nervously fingering the activation switches for their psi-blades. In between the two factions, Zeratul, Selendis and Tassadar were obviously trying to avoid a fight, while Duke, Jim, Sarah and the rest of the Terran commanders stood off to one side, eyeing the Protoss with a large, but reasonable amount of caution. I could hear the Protoss arguing furiously.

_ "You dare to side with the Dark Ones against your own kind?" _ One of the High Templar snarled at Tassadar.  _ "They are traitors and murderers!" _

_ "Traitors? Murderers? That should be something that you are very familiar with!"  _ Vorazun shot back.

_ "Silence, or I will render the Conclave's judgement upon you." _ Another spat, hate filling his voice.

_ "The same judgement that declared my mother a betrayer simply for daring to wish to live differently?" _

I had had enough. I raised my rifle and fired a shot into the ceiling above each group. The sudden startled glances and activated weapons of both sides saw everyone draw their own, though few were pointed the same way. Lowering my own, I fixed both sides with a death glare.

"If you can't behave for a few minutes, then you can all go and ask the Zerg for shelter. Now, sit down, shut up and let's all act like the civilised beings that we all claim to be."

_ "Civilised? We-"  _ The Zealot didn't get any further, because Nova's blade was at his throat. She hissed, "Word of advice. I'd do as the Commander says, unless you're keen on moving on to what lies beyond."

Vorazun seemed ready to make some biting comment, but the sudden flexing of Sarah's wings in her direction persuaded her to stay quiet. The silence was rather charged.

"Thank you. Now, shall we get to the heart of the matter? What the hell is between you all that makes it so difficult for you to get along?"

_ "How could we expect you to understand, Terran?" _ The same High Templar that had been so vocal before spat.

"That wasn't what I asked. I know that you have differences in opinions over events in your past, even if I don't know exactly what those were. But to spend over a thousand years without even considering the idea that you might be wrong?"

_ "You dare! You know nothing of what you speak. Our race was nearly destroyed because of those heretics. They even tried to corrupt one of our greatest heroes." _

This appeared to be too much for Vorazun, and even Zeratul looked angry.  _ "Corrupt? My mother would be dead, had Adun not shown us mercy from the Conclave's death sentence and helped her and the rest of the Dark Templar escape." _

_ "You see? The murderess even admits it." _

I intervened before another argument could erupt. "So, you are absolutely certain of the events."

_ "Of course. It is taught to all Protoss, so that we can avoid a return of those dark times." _

"Bullshit."

The Templar rocked back, stunned. I continued into the silence. "As I told Tassadar once, how can you possibly know? No one from those times is still alive, so all you have are histories and stories that can be mis-interpreted. You can't be certain of whether they were completely accurate." I glanced between the Protoss. "How is it that no one has ever attempted to even try for peace until now?"

_ "That is the point that I have been attempting to make." _ Tassadar said tiredly.

_ "How were we ever so blind?" _ Selendis commented.

"That's easy." Jim said. Everyone's attention turned to him as he continued. "There are none so blind so those that will not see. You've all been so used to believing whatever comes out 

"Not only that, but you also have the example of the Dark Templar to know what happens if you rebel against that leadership, whether you fully know it or not." I added. "They went against the rest of you and lost. That's what you've been taught, so that's what you will remember. Indoctrination at its purest. Why would the Dark Templar even consider trying to remedy the situation, knowing that they will never be believed? Tassadar, Selendis. If Nova and I hadn't been with you when we met Zeratul, what would have happened?"

_ "We would have attacked him." _ Selendis answered without hesitation.

"Precisely. It took outside influence, and the greatest menace we've ever seen, to even consider that he might not be the threat you thought." I shook my head. Before I could continue, however, Vorazun interrupted me.

_ "You believe that we are not a danger to you?" _ Her expression, or what I could read of it, was not just shock, but incredulity. It was clear that she hadn't expected to find anyone even vaguely sympathetic to the Dark Templar.  _ "You believe that it was we who were wronged?" _

I faced her. "I don't think it's as clear cut as that. Every myth or legend has some basis in fact, and I know nothing of the events that led to your exile. But I know Zeratul well enough to know that he isn't as the Protoss on Aiur would like to believe. Whether or not they have knowingly changed the history, they've led those who trust them to do exactly as they ask and nothing else. Even slight deviation from that is enough for punishment, it seems. They concentrate power in the hands of a few and everyone else follows like sheep. It's as if they use a hive mind themselves."

_ "In a sense, that is correct. The Khala that guides them links all Protoss with nerve cords together. Part of the ritual of becoming a Dark Templar is the severing of those cords."  _ Zeratul commented.

I snorted. "Well, I guess, while it would have its advantages, it would have its weaknesses as..." A thought suddenly hit me as I followed the comparison of the hive mind to its logical conclusion. A chill ran down my spine.

The Zerg used a hive mind as well, and I'd seen how easy that could be used to corrupt them. Could the same thing be happening to the Protoss, at least those who weren't Dark Templar?

Could whatever power that was behind the Zerg's enslavement potentially do the same to the Protoss? If it could, and the Zerg remained under its control, it would likely be the Dark Templar and the Terrans fighting against both Zerg and Protoss, and that was a battle I knew we couldn't win.

My fear and shock must have showed, as Selendis turned to me, worry apparent.  _ "Jason?" _

"That bastard. Son of a bitch." Nova had obviously read what I was thinking. "It would be just like them, wouldn't it?"

I nodded numbly as I collapsed into a chair. "Manipulation and using others to fight their battles for them. Fits the MO down to a tee."

"Could one of you please explain what the hell is going on?" Duke asked.

I looked up at him. "The Khala. Both the biggest strength of the Protoss and, perhaps, their biggest weakness."

The Protoss reeled.  _ "What do you mean?" _ Selendis demanded.

I stared at her. "Think about it. We know that the Zerg are not as free as we thought, nor are they necessarily the monsters that we believed them to be. Something changed that. Something corrupted the hive mind that they use, or even forced them into one. Control the head of the hive mind, and you control them all."

Selendis staggered, extending my reasoning.  _ "You think that something has happened to the Khala? Perhaps corrupted it?" _

"Not completely, not yet at least. But the possibility is there. Would the Khala have a centre, a critical point?"

Tassadar nodded grimly.  _ "If such a thing exists, it would be the Heart of the Conclave on Aiur. It is the core of our civilisation, and it was there that Khas first discovered and forged the connection to the Khala. If that connection were to be corrupted..." _

I stood, noting that the argument on all sides seemed to have been forgotten as everyone realised the true horror that we might yet confront.

"We can't afford to waste any more time. Whatever this power is, it already has near total control of the Zerg. If the Zerg reach Aiur, then it would have agents close enough to take the Heart, perhaps even link it to the Zerg's hive mind."

_ "We have to destroy it." _ Selendis said.  _ "Even then, we would not be completely safe, but it would have to work much harder to gain control." _

Vorazun and Zeratul exchanged looks.  _ "You will have our full support. Regardless of our differences, we have not forgotten our roots. We cannot abandon our people in their time of need."  _ Zeratul vowed.

_ "Before we can aid our brethren, we have to escape Char, however." _ Tassadar said.  _ "That we cannot do without breaking their aerial defences. The Dark Templar might be able to sneak a ship or two in and out, but we cannot smuggle an army out past them, not even with Arbiters." _

I nodded. "We have to cripple their defences first. So, we use the same principle that our enemy would use against us."

Sarah's eyes lit up. "Cripple their leadership."

"The Overmind and the Cerebrates." Nova said.

Duke grinned. "Of course. Joanne told me that was what you spotted in the last scans, wasn't it? You knew what you were looking for and wanted the flights to work out how to strike them."

"Exactly. And now, it's time to step it up a notch." I confirmed. "During our little skirmish, the  _ Stingrays _ got enough intel on at least a couple of them to give us a chance of planning an attack."

"Going on the attack against the Zerg's key command units, just after they've battered us. Bit of a risk, but bearable." Sarah replied.

"How hard can it be?" Duke asked. "We have their positions, just rain a few nukes down on them."

Jim shook his head. "Somehow, I don't think it's going to be nearly that easy."


	38. Counterstrike

Duke scoffed. "Why would it not be that easy?"

I considered that and realised that Duke was not going to give up on the idea easily. "Why don't we find out?"

The others turned to me. I shrugged. "Well, it's a fairly easy way to test it. If anything conventional is going to kill a Cerebrate, then a few nukes certainly will. If they don't, then at least the core of the Hive clusters around it is going to be in pieces."

"Do you think it will work?" Jim asked.

I shook my head. "No, I doubt it. But it is at least worth finding out."

"So, if conventional fire won't kill it, what will?" Duke wanted to know.

I nodded towards the Dark Templar." Zeratul mentioned that he could do more powerful damage to the Zerg than the Zealots or High Templar. I suspect that the energies that he draws on are rather different, and the Zerg are far more susceptible to them than more conventional weaponry."

_ "You may well be right." _ Vorazun said thoughtfully.  _ "I had noticed that the Zerg had trace amounts of Void energy within them, though not enough to make a major impact on their abilities as far as I can tell. But even though they contain Void energies, they are not the same as what we wield." _

"Not the same?" Nova asked.

" _ No. It is almost as if they have corrupted that power for their own means." _

"But the Zerg can't be capable of doing that." Duke protested.

"I agree." Nova said. "But if someone corrupted the Zerg using Void energies, would that leave its mark?"

_ "It might be possible." _ Zeratul admitted.

"As fascinating as this discussion is, can we please get back on track?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah, sure. So, how are we going to get Nukes guided into the middle of a Zerg fortress?" I asked. "It's far too risky for a Ghost to get through."

"Could we mount the targeting gear onto an Observer?" Jim asked.

_ "Not easily." _ Selendis replied.  _ "Installing the systems would require a complete rebuild." _

"Well, we could adapt it to the  _ Stingrays _ easily enough, but they would go for it very quickly as soon as they saw them. Getting a lock might be difficult." Sarah mused. "We might need Umojan tech to have the best chance."

Nova and I exchanged looks and came to the same reluctant conclusion. "Jess, contact Malcolm Kang, tell him we need him and his best technical experts ASAP."

"Yes Commander."

Jim nodded. "With luck, they can come up with something."

As it happened, Malcolm was able to come pretty damn fast. His ship had been forced to leave without him and so he was at a bit of a loose end. Within five minutes, he was with us.

"What do you need, Commander?"

I explained to him and his offsiders our particular problem. They considered the problem carefully but didn't really have any practical means of holding a lock without staying still, which was suicide for anything above a Zerg base.

"Sorry sir. We can miniaturise it, make it self-powered, but a stationary guidance platform is still needed. They actually lock down a Ghost's suit while they're doing targeting to reduce any errors."

Sarah growled. "Nice of them to leave us completely undefended if someone spots us. First thing a Terran commander does when they detect a nuclear launch is usually scan the hell out of their base to try and spot us. Zerg swarm the area with Overlords and Protoss do the same with their observers."

I grimaced, knowing that I'd had to do that on a few occasions.

"Can we re-fit the warheads into standard missiles?" Nova asked.

Kang shrugged. "With a bit of work, that might be possible. They wouldn't have the same blast yield, as we'd have to split them into individual warheads, rather than the mass of them that they currently use, but it might be possible."

Duke brightened suddenly as he turned around from the window he'd been staring out of. "What about an intruder that the Zerg would never detect or suspect?"

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

He gestured towards the window and I crossed the room to look out. As I stared at what he was indicating, a mixture of surprise, contemplation and disgust filled me.

He was pointing at the Ragnasaur currently staring through the window at us.

I turned to face him; disbelief written on my face. "You want to trust a surgical nuclear strike to an animal that spends its time wandering around aimlessly?"

He smiled. "It's exactly the sort of plan that you would employ."

Jim snorted. "Kind of has a point there, Ranger."

I shook my head. "Well, it's certainly unconventional. But we'd have to rely on their wandering to take them to the right place."

"Not necessarily." Sarah said. "I could subtly guide them into position. They might be particularly useful as spies as well. The equipment is small enough to easily conceal and the Zerg will deem them as beneath their notice."

I turned to Malcolm. "Can it be done?"

He nodded. "We'd have to implant it, but, yes, it should be possible. Won't even take that long to do it."

"Then let's make it happen."

Kang was as good as his word. Within six hours, we had a group of Ragnasaurs outfitted and ready to infiltrate the base. I was far from comfortable about the whole idea, but it was likely our best option. Thinking further, I decided that we couldn't afford to give away how we'd done the strike, so I elected to take the  _ Liberator  _ up to watch the result, as well as provide a bit of misdirection. After discussing it with Nova, I decided to allow Joanne and Kara to fly her, while we monitored things from the tactical room. Sarah was going to guide the Ragnasaurs into place from the main base, and the others chose to stay there as well, although Zeratul and the Dark Templar had elected to use their cloaked ships to observe. So, for once, Nova and I had some privacy, something which Nova didn't waste any time taking advantage of. Snuggling in tight against my side as we leant against the wall, she sighed, obviously comfortable.

"You don't think this will work, do you?"

I shrugged. "Do you? It will give them a hell of a bloody nose, but that's about it. We know that."

She snorted. "Yeah, guess you have a point there. Still, it would be nice if it were different."

"A good surprise, huh? Those are rare."

She elbowed me lightly. "Stop being such a killjoy."

"Yes, ma'am." I chuckled.

She sighed once more. "Remind me, why are we here when we could be on a beach somewhere?"

I snorted. "Because we're the responsible ones, trying to save the galaxy." Externally, I might have been normal, but internally, the images flooding across our link were driving me to distraction. The idea of seeing Nova in swimwear was very appealing, particularly given that I knew precisely what was concealed beneath it.

Obviously, I had no chance of being able to hide my reaction to such an image, either physically or mentally. Nova's chuckle and slight wiggle made sure that I knew she'd caught me, in more than one sense of the word. Before she could make herself more comfortable, however, the comm flickered to life.

Jim's voice came over the speakers. "We're ready, Ranger. Sarah's guiding the first into place now."

I nodded, despite the fact that he couldn't see us. "The moment of truth, then. Let's get this show on the road." The tactical display flickered, showing a new dot as the unlucky Ragnasaur began to make its way through the Zerg lines. Sarah was very skilled at it, stopping it at irregular intervals to simulate a true animal mindlessly wandering around in search of food. The Zerg ignored it entirely. Whether they would continue to do so once a nuclear missile came crashing down on their heads was another question.

Zeratul opened a private channel.  _ "Commander, could we not take advantage of the situation, regardless of whether or not the Cerebrate dies in the explosion?" _

I blinked, understanding what Zeratul was driving at. "You do realise exactly how risky that is, don't you? Hitting that hive was bad enough, and it was on our doorstep."

_ "Agreed, but much of the defences will be gone, and we do not have to get Sarah to take control of the brood. If it were to run rampant, that would still be a major win for us, and may cause more damage to the Swarm that if it were controlled." _

Nova and I exchanged glances. "He has a point, Jason."

I nodded. "It would cause a lot of chaos, that's true. Opening up another front for them to deal with would give us time that we need so much. If we were able to repeat the trick, it might give us the opening we need to break out."

_ "I concur."  _ Selendis commented.  _ "A small team to hold back the Zerg, while Zeratul and his brethren deal with the Cerebrate. It would work, barring any disasters and if we move fast enough." _

"Agreed. See you ground-side." As if it was ever going to be anyone other than us. We were the only ones close enough to take advantage in time.

Jim's voice interrupted my musings. "In position, nuke is away."

Turning back to the screen, I watched the nuke appear on the screen and head towards the Zerg base. Below us, the Zerg were scrambling madly, trying to work out just what was guiding the nuke. Several wings of mutalisks veered in our direction, but the batteries were more than up to dealing with them.

In the end, all the Zerg's efforts were in vain; the nuke crashed through the line of mutalisks and impacted on top of the Cerebrate. There was a split second, as the fuse on the warhead finished running down, where nothing happened.

Then the world below disappeared in a massive flash and the  _ Liberator _ rocked as the shockwave struck.

As the flash faded and we were able to see through the newly created cloud of debris, we saw the result of the explosion.

The Zerg base had been shattered.

The remaining Zerg had turned feral.

The Cerebrate was  _ obliterated. _

Nova and I exchanged startled glances. Could we have been wrong? Jim's voice called over the comms, seeing the same thing we did.

"Target destroyed!"

The cheers that came over the comm were immense, but neither Nova or I were celebrating just yet. As we watched, it was clear that was the right decision.

Despite the fact that absolutely nothing remained of the Cerebrate, something was reforming beneath us. Not in the same place, but the shape was all too familiar. I activated the comm.

"Hold up, something's happening."

The cheers died down and I knew that everyone's attention was back on the displays. It wasn't immediate, but it was fast enough.

The Cerebrate had not been killed.

Duke was the first to audibly recover. "What the HELL!?"

"That's what I was afraid of." I replied quietly.

He snorted. "If I hadn't seen it happen, I wouldn't have believed it possible."

"Yeah, me either." As I spoke, Nova and I had left the briefing room and were heading towards the armoury. "Got to keep moving, though."

Sarah's voice came over the line and I could practically see her narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "What exactly are you planning, Jason?"

"Well, we still have a Cerebrate to take out, and we're not going to do it from here."

_ "Agreed." _ Selendis replied.  _ "We will see you on the surface." _

Sarah's voice was raised in anger. "Jason, you aren't seriously considering going down there  _ now _ , are you?"

"We've blown the door open and cleared the room. You think we're going to get a better opportunity?"

"You don't know how long it will take to kill that thing, or if you even can."

"Which is why a small team is best. We cover the Dark Templar, they go to work on it and we can leave in a hurry, if needed."

"And if it goes wrong, we have no way to get to you. You know how fast the Zerg can move."

"I do. And the more time we spend arguing over whether this is the right decision, the more chance they have to re-group. We're going in." Perhaps somewhat harshly, I cut Sarah out of the line and turned to Nova. "Let's do this."

As Nova followed me out of the room, she commented, "You know she's going to give you hell now, don't you?"

"She can deal with it." I said shortly. Truth be told, I was less than impressed that our hand had been forced like this. Bluntly, I agreed with Sarah that we weren't ready to hit the Cerebrates yet, but Duke's insistence that they could fall to conventional fire had left little option. We'd made the strike, got the result that I expected and, if we did nothing, the Cerebrates would be far harder to hit in the future. The only option we had was to make sure that this one fell now and for that, we had to move fast. There wasn't time to discuss it in a committee. Striding into the cockpit, I gave the order.

"Set us down next to the Cerebrate."

Both Kara and Joanne looked at me in shock. The look I gave them convinced them that, yes, I was in fact serious and was really in no mood to argue. With no more than a nod, they swiftly brought us down low enough for Nova and I to jump out. Two squads of Marines and one of Firebats followed. On the other side of the new clearing, Zeratul, Selendis and their respective teams also exited their craft, moving towards us. The various ships swiftly took off, taking defensive positions above them. To my surprise, Tassadar had also appeared. He shrugged in response to my raised eyebrow.

_ "I felt it would be wise to join you." _

"Certainly not going to say no." I replied. I nodded towards the Cerebrate. "Let's get to work."

The Dark Templar gathered around the Cerebrate. To my bafflement, Tassadar joined them. Selendis saw my confusion.

_ "Executor Tassadar felt that closer ties should be attempted between our disparate peoples. He has been training Zeratul in our ways and began taking instruction in return." _

I blinked. "He's learning how to wield Dark Templar energies?"

She nodded. I whistled. While I knew that this had happened before, it was still something of a surprise that it was happening this quickly. Keying my comm, I contacted Kara.

"What's it looking like from up there?"

"Well, do you want the good news or the bad news?"

I snorted. "Let's have the good first."

"The good news is that the Zerg that seem to be part of this brood are still a big disorganised. They're massing around you, but it's going to take them some time to get their act together. They'll be the first you'll face, though."

"Lovely. I take it, then, that the bad news is that the rest of the Swarm is moving up on us."

"That would be nice if that's all it was."

I frowned. "You want to explain that?"

"Every other Zerg within twenty kilometres has vanished."

I spun, eyes searching the horizon. "Define vanished for me."

"Exactly that. They've all disappeared. Scanners show everything as completely clear."

"Isn't that good news?" Nova asked.

I shook my head. "They have to know what we're here to do. They wouldn't back off. Not like that. Did they just disappear into thin air, or are there some traces?"

"No, no traces at all."

"What the hell are they up to?" Nova asked, looking as concerned as I felt.

I glanced over towards the Dark Templar, and they were starting to attack the Cerebrate. "Whatever it is, it's nothing good. Let's take this damn thing down and get the hell out of here."

Much to my surprise, we actually managed to take out the Cerebrate and get the hell out of dodge before the Zerg showed up. Hauling up for the safety of the air, we watched the Zerg Brood we had just decapitated mill about, apparently going feral. If we had still been in the area, I had no doubt that we would have been in a world of hurt.

As we landed, however, it occurred to me that we may still be in for a world of hurt, particularly me. Regardless of how brave I was, facing down Sarah Kerrigan when she was very pissed off was never my idea of fun, and that was before she had the Zerg powers to boost her abilities. I swallowed. I'd probably survive this. Probably.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" She demanded coldly.

"What had to be done. You think that tipping off the Zerg that we could get into and destroy their bases without them knowing and not doing the most damage we could was a good idea?"

"They know that regardless. Now they also know that we understand of the importance of the Cerebrates and how to kill them. They won't let it happen again. But more importantly, you just decided to do it, and ignored everyone's advice. How exactly do you think we should take that?"

"As it was, a judgement call from those on the scene. The Zerg are up to something, Sarah. We can't stay here forever and the only way that we can slip out is if we can distract or remove the Zerg to a point where we can safely evacuate. It will take time for them to deal with the rogue brood, more so if we can repeat it elsewhere. It might be just what we need."

"Or it might bring them crashing down on us with everything they have." Jim replied.

I nodded. "A fair point. But getting off this rock was never going to be risk free. We can either leave the Zerg alone for a while or hit hard and fast. We couldn't afford to wait once we started to hit and there wasn't time for you to catch up. I'm sorry if you disagree but I don't see any other options." I looked at Sarah. "Besides, there's still plenty more to hit."

Sarah nodded grimly. "You want to head out again, don't you?"

"The more time we give them to recover, the worse our chances of ever escaping this place."

She nodded. "Then let's get this done."

Between Sarah, the Protoss and Duke, Jim, Nova and I planned out our attacks on the remaining Cerebrates in the area, using the intel from the overflights we had managed to do. Over the course of the next two days, we hit and killed every single one.

The result was utter chaos.

It was perhaps the closest I had ever seen the Zerg to outright panic. Every one of them that remained under the Overmind's control were desperately staving off attacks from the newly feral broods. The Zerg lost significant ground against us as they were forced to repel attack after attack from a force just as strong and single minded as they were themselves. While I had no doubt that they would win eventually, it would cost them time, firepower and ground. Firepower they may have had in ample supply, but the ground that they gave up while defending gave us time to prepare for our own next move. Sarah and I led a number of missions into the freed hives, taking control of them, and thus causing further headaches for the Zerg.

Ultimately, by the time the Zerg managed to defend half of the feral broods, we had control of the others and had a major friendly Zerg force between us and any assault. Coupled with our new vehicles and improvements that we had managed to complete, we were ready to push forward again and take the next and hopefully final step towards our freedom.

As it turned out, we were just in time. A week after our counter strike, we were roused by something that we had prayed for, but I had secretly feared.

Clouds of Zerg were streaming into space, away from us. Cheers rang out around us as those who were unaware of the real issue celebrated an enemy weakening themselves. Those of us that did know better, however, exchanged worried looks. There was only one reason why the Zerg would leave now.

They had found Aiur at last.

"How?" I breathed.

Tassadar seemed to flinch.  _ "I felt a mind bush lightly against my own as I attacked the first Cerebrate, and I thought of Aiur. It was so swift and fleeting, I could not be certain of what I felt. But now..." _

Yes, now things had indeed become clear. "How much could they have got?"

He understood what I was asking. _"I do not think they could have got anything other_ _than Aiur. It was only a split second."_

"What about Aiur were you thinking about?" Nova asked.

_ "The view from my home, as I rise each morning." _

"Do you rise before dawn, as you do now?" She asked.

Tassadar's expression darkened as he realised what she was getting at.  _ "Yes." _

I nodded. "Hence the delay. Between the Overmind getting knocked for six each time we killed the Cerebrates and needing to reconstruct the location from the star constellations it saw, deducing Aiur's location would take time."

Nova asked me privately,  _ "Couldn't the Ghost have given the Zerg Aiur's location before now, if he was strong enough or knowledgeable enough to control the Overmind?" _

_ "It's possible, but odds are good that he never knew it either. Perhaps his master never shared that with him, or never knew it to begin with. Either are likely. Having given a servant the knowledge of how to control the Overmind, would you trust that servant with the location of the race best suited to defeating them? If they were able to be removed or controlled, then that servant might just be able to defeat you." _

_ "Point. Though it's hard to believe that it would be possible to control something like the Overmind." _

I shrugged mentally.  _ "The Overmind said itself, something created it and leashed it. Having a way to retake control isn't out of the question, hell, that's exactly how brainwashing people into sleeper agents works. If you know how to use that back door, you wouldn't even need that much psionic power." _

Nova shook her head.  _ "It's always the simple things that get overlooked, isn't it?" _

Returning my attention to the rest of the room, I saw that grim looks were in plentiful supply as everyone realised the problem at hand. I looked around the room. "We need to move up our timetable."

Moving our timetable up, however, was easier said than done. Despite the fact that the lion's share of the Swarm had departed, presumably for Aiur, we were still outnumbered by a large amount, and there was no shortage of stationary surface to orbit emplacements scattered across the planet. The  _ Stingrays _ were fast enough, and agile enough, that they could evade them, but the battlecruisers and transports definitely could not. With the remaining Cerebrates on the planet well out of range for us, our only option was to go after the heavily defended emplacements, and the bases that were spawning the Zerg troops that were still a major threat for us. Still, we had progressed enough inside two weeks that I was comfortable calling Matt. As his face flickered into view, I could see the incredible relief plastered across it.

"It's good to hear from you, sir."

I grinned in reply. "Glad that we can talk to you. Been an interesting few weeks here."

"I can imagine. Are you ready for us to extract you then, sir?"

"Not quite, but soon. I wanted to warn you that you may want to start drifting in our direction. We may still need to leave on very short notice. Has Master Tamsir had any word from Aiur?"

Matt stiffened. "I'd ask how you knew, but I can guess that you saw the Zerg leave and came to the correct conclusion. The Zerg arrived at Aiur in force a week ago. The last reports Tamsir got, it's bedlam there. But that's not the best part."

"Oh? Then what is?"

"From what the few friends that our Protoss buddies have left on Aiur have said, the Conclave consider us a greater threat than the Zerg. They've sent out a fleet to deal with us."

Silence echoed throughout the room. No one could believe the words we'd heard. Finally, I found my voice.

"Matt, if that's a joke, I'm not laughing."

"Afraid it's no joke, sir. They're heading for Char as we speak."

I took a deep breath, trying to get my temper under control. "Let me get this straight. The Conclave, the so-called wise and unstoppable leaders of the Protoss, have decided it's better for their forces, and their people, to ignore the threat currently rampaging across their home-world, in favour of tracking down and hindering the force they sent to oppose them? Does that about sum it up?"

"Essentially? Yes."

"HAVE THEY LOST THEIR MINDS?" I roared.

_ "That may be exactly what has happened."  _ Tassadar said. Everyone in the room spun to face him. He looked unhappy, but continued,  _ "Did we not theorise that that was a possibility?" _

I blinked, remembering the conversation that we had previously had. Nova groaned as she came to the same conclusion.

"Well, that will complicate things."

"Matt, how long do we have?" Jim asked.

"According to Tamsir, the fleet left 86 hours ago." Matt replied quickly.

I looked at the Protoss, asking them silently how long the fleet would require. Tassadar shook his head.  _ "They will be almost here by now, even without the use of Arbiters." _

I swung back to look at Matt who grimaced. "We're a day away at best, sir."

The magnitude of the problem was apparent immediately. We had a major Zerg force that wanted us dead. We had a large  _ Protoss _ force en route that didn't like us very much either. Neither side liked the other at all. On top of that, our own extraction force was at least a day away. We didn't have a choice.

"Matt, get the fleet and head to Char, right now. This is our best shot of getting off this rock and we are running out of time. Do not engage the Protoss on arrival. Concentrate on the extraction first, then worry about the Zerg if you have to."

"Got it."

I turned to Sarah. "Can the Zerg you command hold back an assault if we pack up?"

She nodded grimly. "Count on it."

"What about transport? Can you move them?"

"That will be trickier, but not impossible."

"Then, once the Protoss fleet arrives, we'll need to get everything packed up and ready to move out. I don't want to be here for a minute longer than we have to. As soon as our fleet gets here, I want us loading up."

As it happened, the Protoss fleet wasn't far away at all. Within six hours of talking to Matt, the sky above us began to boil with light, as ship after ship reverted from warp space. Even without the  _ Liberator's  _ powerful sensors being routed into the command centre, there was not a chance in hell that we could have missed their arrival. All of us watched the ships warp in in silence. Anywhere else, I would be confident that it was a powerful fleet, capable of taking on anything in its path.

Here, I suspected that it would simply take them a little longer to die once the Zerg decided to munch on them.

Thankfully, the Protoss were relatively smart in how they went about things, evidently taking some of what Tassadar had told them to heart. The Protoss commander had brought a lot of carriers, and those were using their interceptors to great affect against the scourge. What Mutalisks were able to penetrate through the seething mass of small ships were quickly being picked off by the scouts’ anti-matter missiles. By either luck or foreknowledge, the Protoss had also reverted almost directly above us, in an area where we had cleared out a substantial amount of anti-air emplacements, thus inadvertently buying them further time.

Still, more Zerg were continuing to rise towards the battle, and there were still some anti-air emplacements left. The Protoss were living on borrowed time, even if they didn't know it. Beside me, Selendis's eyes narrowed and she manipulated the tactical display to zoom in on a particular carrier. She exchanged a glance with Tassadar.

_ "Artanis would appear to lead the fleet, but there are Judicator ships with him." _

_ "I recognise those markings. Aldaris leads them." _

I turned to them. "I take it you know them both."

Selendis nodded.  _ "Artanis is one of our best commanders. He is a little unconventional, but remarkably effective." _ She paused for a moment.  _ "He is my mentor." _

I raised an eyebrow, and a small grin crossed my face. "I look forward to meeting him already. What about Aldaris?"

Tassadar replied,  _ "A high level Judicator, he was assigned to me as my liaison between my forces and the Conclave." _

I grimaced. "So, at best, he's not likely to be willing to listen."

_ "No. They must have assigned him to Artanis, which means that he has been declared Executor." _

"Lovely."

_ "No!" _ Selendis's scream interrupted us and we spun back to look at the display.

Artanis's carrier was falling fast, wreathed in fire. The Protoss fleet seemed to be shaken and the Zerg took full advantage.

"Jess, where's the impact site?" I barked.

"60 kilometres south-west of our position, Commander. Zerg are already converging on the area."

That was outside of our cleared area, by a long way. Trying to cut our way through to Artanis was a suicide mission. It didn't matter a damn.

"Everyone, mount up. We've got an Executor to rescue."


	39. The Ride of the Raiders

I bent over the display. "Jess, give me an overview of the area between us and the crash site."

The tactical display changed, with the orbital battle vanishing and the terrain between us and Artanis appearing. Thanks to our scanner sweeps, we had a rough idea of the layout and Tassadar had used his old codes to tap into the Protoss fleet's sensors, giving us a further view. Artanis had evidently managed to maintain some kind of control over his ship as it came down, landing heavily on a small hill within an old asteroid crater. If he could get his forces established quickly enough, he might well be able to survive for some time, given he would have impressive sight lines and the advantage of height. Reavers and Siege Tanks might be able to reach him from the crater's edge, but certainly nothing that the Zerg had would. As we watched, warriors were emerging from the damaged ship, base structures and defences were being established with great speed and skill, and my opinion of his abilities rose. I wasn't the only one.

"Very professional." Duke said with grudging approval.

"Can't argue with that." Jim agreed.

As the other commanders reviewed and commented on Artanis's tactical ability, I reviewed the terrain and how we could get to him, preferably undetected. We would be vulnerable while on the move and I had no desire to give the Zerg any more warning than necessary. Sarah stepped up beside me.

"There may be a way through the caves underneath the surface."

I looked at her. "We can't afford to get lost down there."

She nodded. "The Zerg know them well, though. Many of the broods that we were able to take have that knowledge."

"You can guide us through them?" I asked.

She nodded. "Well enough. There is an entrance to the system about 4 kilometres south of us. If we follow the paths right, it will bring us out here." She tapped a point on the display, a small canyon that led from the cave entrance towards the crater, stopping a kilometre short of it. "We won't be able to take any air units through, obviously."

I nodded. "Artanis is going to need support sooner than we can get there by ground anyway."

Ros spoke up. "If we cover you until you get into the caves, we can support him."

"Assuming they don't shoot you on sight." Jim replied.

"Right, assuming that. Either way, it will give you time to get there."

"I can get our Zerg flyers to support her." Sarah added.

"Is that wise?" Duke asked. "He's likely to consider all Zerg as hostile."

_ "If they are not engaging him, he will likely leave them alone." _ Selendis replied.

"Either way, it doesn't much matter. As good as he is, he's not going to make it without support. If you can do that, Sarah, I think we'd all appreciate it." I replied.

She nodded. "No problem. What about the rest of us?"

Vorazun spoke next,  _ "Once we are within the caves, we can scout for enemy activity and hopefully avoid them."  _

"Better count me in on that. I know the route and I can still cloak."

"Agreed. Add me too." Nova put in.

"Right. Jim, Tassadar, I think you should go with Ros. We must make contact with Artanis quickly. How long until we can be ready to move?" I asked.

An hour seemed to be the rough estimates from everyone. Longer than I would have liked, but less than I feared. I nodded. "Then let's get to it."

Everyone was as good as their word and we were moving out inside an hour. Jim was the last of our air support to leave, gripping my hand in a firm handshake.

"You better make sure that you move fast, or we won't leave anything for you to shoot."

I snorted. "With your aim, I'm not worried. Besides, Tychus wouldn't be pleased if you didn't leave him something."

"True enough." Jim sobered. "See you on the other side."

I nodded. "Good luck." I stepped away and allowed Sarah to say her own farewells. Turning to Tassadar, I nodded. "Good hunting, my friend."

_ "And to you. We will ensure Artanis still stands when you arrive." _

"Never doubted it for a moment. We'll see you there. Doubt we'll be able to get a signal through that rock though, so we'll be out of contact most likely until we're there."

With a final nod, we parted, Tassadar and Jim bound for the  _ Liberator _ , while we headed for the Vultures. With the new variants ready for use, I was intending to ride one to the crash site. We didn't have time for people to walk, so the entire force had to find spots on the vehicles to get there. Thankfully, we had enough, even when taking the Protoss into account. Sarah had already scouted ahead with her Zerg and cleared us a path to the cave system. Unfortunately, the slowest units were also the ones we were going to need first. As devastating as the Reavers were, their speed was crippling, making what would have been a two- or three-hour march closer to six. Still, the lack of speed meant that we had a reasonable chance of ensuring that our approach was clear and undetected.

Assuming, of course, that we arrived in time to be of any use.

With a roar of engines and beasts, perhaps the strangest attack force ever seen in the sector began to move. Vultures sped alongside zerglings and hydralisks, with siege tanks, ultralisks and reavers practically in lockstep.

It was the first time that a combined Protoss, Terran and Zerg force had ever gone to war. For the sake of the sector, I hoped it would not be the last.

As we entered the caves, everyone was fully alert. No one wanted to be ambushed in here. While an armoured column was a formidable target, the lack of room meant that the Zerg we might encounter would have a clear advantage, as our siege weapons would have difficulty in targeting them before they could close on us. In these confines, the  _ Temeraires _ were practically useless, but I knew we were going to need them when we reached Artanis. For this reason, we kept the majority of our heavy vehicles within the centre of the column, with the small and agile vultures and smaller Zerg units around the edge. I exchanged glances with Sarah.

"Ok, Sarah. You know where we have to go?"

She nodded, pointing towards a passage. Without a word, Vorazun and two of her Dark Templar entered the tunnel, making sure we had no enemies along the way. Giving them a couple of minutes head start, I started the column after them. Duke moved alongside us.

"I sure hope you know what you're doing."

I grimaced. "Yeah, me too. Either way, we're committed now, and I don't think we had a choice to begin with."

"Can't really argue with that."

Just then, my comms crackled. Tychus, riding at the rear of the convoy, was getting my attention.

"What's up, Tychus?"

"Just caught a transmission from Jimmy before we entered the caves. They've reached the crash site. Sounds hectic as hell, though. They managed to get enough of a hole for our dropships and shuttles to get through, but they're getting hit hard down there. No way can they hold them back forever."

"Can they hold long enough for us to get there?"

"Going to be a close-run thing, pal. If we'd had room for the  _ Temeraires _ on those ships, they might have done it easy."

I cursed. One downside of the  _ Temeraires _ was that their sheer size had transporting them difficult to say the least. Standard dropships weren't large enough to do it and the larger vessels that had delivered them had retreated with the fleet, hence why they were with us. Without them, the defenders would have to rely on the standard siege tanks and reavers that could fit in the transports for heavy defence.

"Understood. Sounds like it's a race, then."

Keying off the comm, I turned to Selendis, who had also come alongside. "We're not going to be able to stop for anything. Every minute we're delayed in here, Artanis's odds worsen. I doubt the Protoss fleet is in any position to send relief to him."

She shook her head.  _ "Until we can get there, he will have to stand against the storm." _

At that moment, Vorazun leapt onto the Vulture, waving off another pair of Dark Templar as they left to relieve her. She nodded to me.  _ "The route is clear for a while, at least a couple of kilometres. There are no obvious passages outside of our route and what enemy presence was around was easily dealt with." _

I nodded. "They'll know something is up, but not necessarily exactly what just yet."

"Let's hope our luck holds then." Duke replied.

For the first few hours, we had evaded or destroyed the Zerg with ease, keeping up a reasonable pace. However, we now had a problem. Zeratul, taking his turn to scout, had discovered a fork in the passage. According to Sarah, the left-hand route was by far the shortest. However, Zeratul had discovered a major subterranean Zerg hive no more than a kilometre along it. The right-hand passage was clear, but longer and narrower, taking far longer to pass through. Taking a quick moment, I contacted the other commanders and outlined the problem.

"Suggestions?" I asked.

"Is there any chance that we can take the hive out without them working us out?" Nova asked.

Zeratul was quick to reply,  _ "Unfortunately, no. They are well entrenched. I can see the hive structures, but even I cannot bypass them without being detected. Unless we can get a force on the other side of the hive, the Zerg can retreat away from us and prolong the engagement long enough to give away our position." _

"Well, that's irritating." Duke commented. "Sounds like we have to go the long way, then."

"Sure does complicate things." Tychus added.

Sarah was standing beside me, both of us looking at the route we had planned on the tactical display. A thought suddenly occurred to me.

"Sarah, this other path. Where exactly does it go?"

She looked at me, confusion apparent in her expression, but traced the path along the display. I looked closely, seeing it did wind around a lot more than the preferred option. However, something else attracted my attention. The path was primarily straight for the first ten kilometres, but the final five before re-joining the other route was where we would lose time, as it narrowed and wound down around an underground canyon before climbing back up the other side.

A kilometre before this, however, there was an offshoot passage. While the tunnel would eventually wind around to the east and take us away from the crash site, it did pass close to our original path, only about 30 metres or so away. While I had no doubt that the rock would be solid, we might just be able to cut back through and not lose much time. Looking at Sarah, I tapped the spot on the display.

"Any chance we can cut back through here?" I asked.

She frowned in thought. "It may be possible. It's a lot of rock to try and move, though. But a group of ultralisks might just be able to soften it enough with burrowing and their blades that we could clear it. We'd have to be fast and hope there isn't another hive on the other side."

"If we can get through there, we're almost home. At that point, it won't matter so much if the Zerg know that we're coming. I think we're better off pushing through there and heading for the exit."

The other commanders were looking at their own displays. "Does sound ugly, but it's definitely our best option." Duke added his opinion.

_ "Agreed."  _ Selendis replied.

Sarah nodded slowly. "In that case, I'll take the Zerg there. I'll be needed there more than here."

"Be careful." I advised.

She grinned. "Break the habit of a lifetime?" Without another world, she took off, most of her Zerg at her heels.

As it happened, I had little to worry about. By the time the column reached the passageway, Sarah and the Zerg had cleared it nicely and secured our exit. Five and a half hours after entering the cave system, we exited to blazing sun. Within 15 minutes, Selendis, Sarah, Duke, Nova and I were standing on the edge of the crater, looking down on the battle below us.

Carnage was the only way to describe it.

Protoss munitions were constantly being fired, but we could barely see them for the waves of Zerg assaulting them on every side. I could see the forces that had been flown to the battle fighting just as fiercely, but the pressure was immense. About the only good news that I could see was that the fighting was still going on, indicating that there were still people to rescue, and that all 16  _ Stingrays _ were still flying.

I toyed with the idea of calling Jim but figured he didn't need the distraction. Switching to the M12, I sighted in on the battle below. It took a few seconds, but I found Artanis fighting. Having seen Selendis and Tassadar fight, I thought I had a rough idea of what to expect.

I wasn't even close.

I could see the same ornate but formidable armour that Tassadar usually wore, but I wouldn't have recognised it by the colour, as it was drenched in Zerg blood. I had no idea how many Zerg had fallen to him alone, but judging by his appearance, it had to be hundreds, at least. His psi-blades blazed with fury and were constantly in motion.

Beside me, I felt both Selendis and Nova look through their own scopes. Sarah had her own methods of witnessing the battle and Duke didn't need a scope to see the scale of the slaughter.

"Damn. That's what we're heading into?" He asked.

He had a point. We still had most of the troops that we had been stranded with, so close to 150,000 Raiders and Protoss. We also had Duke's forces, close to 50,000 men strong. In addition to  _ that _ , we had the Zerg that Sarah had taken control of, by now numbering at the very least close to a million.

The Zerg beneath us outnumbered us by  _ at least _ 100 to 1. About the only advantages we had right now were that they hadn't noticed us yet and we held the high ground.

But they also had no idea just what we were capable of.

"Yeah. That's what we're heading into." I replied. "Looks like fun, huh?"

Nova cracked a smile. "Just enough to warm up with, you think?"

Selendis suddenly interrupted,  _ "Artanis stands alone." _

Swinging back to find Artanis, I found a group of Zerglings surrounding him, while an Ultralisk closed on him from behind. Without conscious thought, I raised, aimed and fired in a split second. The Penetrator slug buried itself in the Ultralisk's skull, neatly coring it. All around, the battle stopped, as both sides turned towards the rim we stood on. I lowered the rifle, looking below.

"No longer." I keyed my comm. "Jim, give me battle telemetry data, now." Glancing behind, I saw what I wanted to see.

"You sure know how to announce yourself, Ranger. Data coming your way."

I saw the data being received and transmitted to all our forces. Below me, the Zerg roared in anger and no small number turned in our direction. I grinned, knowing what was about to come.

"Reavers, engage."

Hundreds of Scarabs raced past us, streaking down the hill towards the oncoming Zerg, devastating them without mercy. Tens of thousands or more fell in that single salvo. Hundreds of thousands charged up to take their place, only to meet the next salvo and the ones after. In those first few seconds of our engagement, the reavers alone must have felled more Zerg than we had troops.

Then the siege tanks and  _ Temeraires _ moved up to support them, killing as many again with each salvo. The Zerg were swiftly starting to drop, but they were still coming. I glanced at the commanders.

"To the Vultures."

We swiftly retook our spots, although Selendis elected to ride with me and Sarah took up a place on top of my bike. Watching the telemetry, I waited for the right moment. Despite the savage fire, the Zerg quickly advanced almost halfway to our position. I revved the bike.

"Raiders, roll out."

What happened next would not be soon forgotten by anyone involved or watching.

With a roar of engines that rivalled the noise of the Zerg charging us, the absolute swarm of Vultures gunned their own engines and charged over the edge of the crater and down its side. The first ranks consisted of the  _ Shredder _ variants. Heavily armoured, these bikes sacrificed a degree of speed for increased protection and firepower, boasting twin auto-cannons set in turrets, in addition to the paired grenade-launchers. With the heavy armour they now possessed, these vehicles were more than capable of running over and flattening anything up to an Ultralisk.

Which was good, because that was exactly what they did.

Jim later told me that, from the air, it looked like a cavalry charge from one of the old movies that had somehow been brought over from Earth. The brave, outnumbered army charging straight at the forces of darkness, allowing them into their own lines, only to sweep them back with their fury. Even the Zerg flinched and stumbled as they beheld the threat sweeping down on them. At the point of impact, we must have thrown the leading ranks metres into the air by the sheer force of the impact. As we hit their lines, one final feature of the new variant came into play. Of all the modifications we had made, this one struck me as the most ironic.

After all, it was the Zerg that had inspired it.

Any construction task leaves a quantity of scrap metal left over, to be recycled for new tasks. We had taken some of the more unusable pieces, at least to the construction aspect of our operations, and fitted them to the vehicles with a simple, but high-powered release and retrieve mechanism.

While the idea and implementation wasn't exactly cutting edge, the results  _ were _ . Quite literally.

It didn't matter how tough the Zerg were. Being hit with a heavy, thick - and sharpened - piece of metal at upwards of 200 kilometres an hour was lethal. Using the same tactics that Ultralisks had used to such devastating effect against us was sweet indeed. That single charge reversed the momentum of the Zerg, giving our heavy artillery much needed space and time.

Behind us came the second wave, with the next new variant of Vultures front and centre. These types, called  _ Hammer _ , weren't as heavily armoured, but much better armed, with armour-piercing, high explosive and fragmentation grenades available to be launched by the trio of grenade launchers, modified for improved range and firing speed. In addition, they also mounted two pairs of autocannons in steerable turrets, able to be operated independently, either by the driver and passenger or the on-board computer, upgraded using the Goliath targeting model as a base. Firing ahead of the first wave, they unleashed additional hell on the Zerg, breaking up their lines and sowing confusion into their ranks, targeting especially the Ultralisks that would be dangerous to engage in close quarters.

The third type remained around the heavy artillery, ready to counter the incoming aerial assault desperate to try and halt the devastation. Nicknamed  _ Skyfall _ , they had the grenade launchers replaced with a quartet of missile launchers, making mincemeat of enemy flyers. They also had a pair of autocannons for some ground defence, but they excelled at anti-air operations. The masses of Mutalisks, intent on butchering the apparently under-defended heavy vehicles, instead found themselves on the receiving end of a storm of anti-air missiles. Trying desperately to evade the fire, they dissolved into utter mayhem, falling like flies before the furious fire.

As our charge reached and split around the elevation on which Artanis had made his stand, I led a wave of our forces up onto the hill itself. While most of the combat orientated Vultures followed either Duke or Tychus around the hill into the remaining Zerg forces, some trailed me, escorting most of the final type we had created.

By comparison to the others, the  _ Warhorse _ variant was lightly armed, though with reasonable armour, with only the original grenade launcher and a pair of autocannons mounted in turrets. However, as they pulled up around the edge of the base, they revealed why they were as dangerous as the others.

What the  _ Warhorses _ lacked in firepower and ammo, it made up for in transport capacity. Capable of holding half a squad of Marines and their equipment, it gave us a means to transport troops swiftly without having to clear out anti-air emplacements first. Marines, Zealots, Firebats and 

Behind us, Sarah's Zerg roared down, mopping up any surviving hostiles before flanking around the line of Vultures to meet the Zerg trying to get around the vehicles and into a less suicidal situation. Behind them, the few Goliaths we had were pouring supporting fire into the battle, with our heavy vehicles and their escort moving up behind them to continue the onslaught. Revitalised by the sudden turn of events, both Artanis's forces and our vanguard cut into the Zerg with renewed vigour, while the air battle turned in our favour. As Selendis and I leapt from the  _ Shredder _ , however, we both knew that the momentum would not favour us forever. We had prolonged the engagement substantially and the Zerg would pay a very high price for our lives. But, far from our base, with only a minimal force continuing to defend it, we had no remaining reinforcements to commit to the fight, while the Zerg could bring additional forces in from every direction.

Our sole hope of not just victory, but survival, lay with the Protoss fleet heavily besieged by the Zerg in orbit and our own, racing desperately towards the system. We had struck back at the Zerg, making this a proper fight. Now we had to survive long enough to escape.

As our forces cleared out the last of the Zerg around Artanis's base and the surrounding areas, Selendis and I walked over towards Artanis, who was dispatching the last of a group of Zerglings. Off to the side, I saw the  _ Liberator _ land, Tassadar swiftly disengaging from his own battle and heading in our direction. Sarah and Nova also headed towards us. Artanis nodded towards us as we approached.

_ "En Taro Adun, Tassadar, Selendis. Your aid is most welcome, as is your own, Commander." _

I raised an eyebrow. "You know me, Executor?"

_ "It would be difficult for me not to, given what Selendis has told me about you. If nothing else, your first shot gave away your identity to me."  _

I chuckled. "If it hadn't been me, Selendis would have fired in the next second." I grinned. "So, you are the mysterious mentor that she mentioned. The one that she thought could give a run for my money."

_ "I look forward to putting that to the test sometime. However, we have other issues to deal with." _ He looked across at Sarah and I could see him become rather tense. I took a step in between them.

"I do hope you're not planning to do anything rash. Selendis has probably told how I react to friends of mine being threatened."

_ "I will admit that I am concerned about your ties to the Zerg, although you certainly seem to have little issue with fighting at least some of them." _ He glanced towards Zeratul and Vorazun, now approaching us as well.  _ "But with you openly allied with the Dark Templar as well, I do have to question whether I can trust you." _

Nova stepped up beside me, fingering her rifle as the two Dark Templar stiffened. "Executor, unless you intend to insult us further, I suggest you consider your next words very carefully indeed. I don't much care for your tone at the moment."

Jim was clearly listening to the conversation, as the  _ Liberator _ swung up and over us, her batteries almost, but not quite pointing at Artanis's face. "She ain't the only one."

Sarah gently put her hand on Nova's shoulder, stepping between the two of us. "Regardless, he does have a point. He also doesn't have the full story." She turned to face Artanis. "How can you trust us? Leaving aside the fact that all of us, including Zerg and Dark Templar, just pulled you and your people out of the fire, at least for the moment, do you truly have a choice? Your home-world burns as we speak. Your forces there are outmatched, and your people have sent their best warriors away to confront potential allies and defeat them. You cannot vanquish the Zerg without destroying the Cerebrates and Overmind."

Artanis interrupted,  _ "We know. But we cannot kill them, certainly not permanently, not with what we have." _

Duke, who had just arrived, snorted. "Tell me about it."

Sarah shot him a look. "We can't. But the Dark Templar can."

Artanis stared at her.  _ "You are certain?" _

"Very much so, as a lot of them are no longer able to testify to."

_ "How? Why?" _

Zeratul stepped up. _ "We are not certain of the full reason, but the Overmind and the Cerebrates seem to be fuelled by Void energies, energies that we have learnt to wield. We can use those same energies to destroy them." _

Sarah continued, "Trusting us right now is immaterial. You need help to save your people, help that we can provide."

I added, "I don't see many others queuing up to help you, either. The Dark Templar are shunned by your people, the other Zerg are the problem and too many Terran lives have been lost to the Protoss for the majority of Terran factions around to consider you as anything other than an enemy. I can think of only one other that might be willing and you don't have the time to persuade them to help you. Even if you did, they don’t have the kind of strength to be able to assist you all that much either. We know the stakes, the enemy and have the knowledge, willingness and capability to defeat them. I am not sure if we can drive the Zerg from Aiur now, no Zerg assault of that magnitude has ever been repelled completely. But we can save your people, buy them time and space to either dig in or evacuate. Living and dying by your principles is fine. From what I have heard so far, the principles of the Conclave are likely to doom your people. That is too far."

_ "You have your own interests in this, Commander." _

"Of course I do. If the Protoss fall, we won't stand a chance. But much of the Zerg threat has, until now, been absorbed by Terrans and Terran forces. Without that, you would have the entire might of the Swarm to face. Like it or not, our fates lie together. Both races must stand together, or we will both perish."

_ "Hardly." _ Another Protoss voice interrupted us. Turning, I saw a holographic projection of a new Protoss watching us, obviously unimpressed.  _ "The Protoss have never been bested and these beasts are not about to start." _

_ "Aldaris."  _ Tassadar said quietly, his eyes narrowing.

_ "The mighty Tassadar. How low you have fallen, forgetting your honour and duty to the Conclave, cavorting with these minnows that are beneath our notice." _

I snorted. "You know who this arsehole sounds like, Jim?

He chuckled. "Almost reminds me of Duke and Mengsk. He's arrogant and pigheaded enough."

"Excuse me." Duke protested, swiftly catching on to the game we were playing. "I take offence to that." He paused briefly. "I am of far better class than that. Besides, I only put that on when dealing with you."

"Oh, that's right, us 'colonial yokels', wasn't it?" Jim replied. "Nice to know that we get special treatment from the 'upper classes'."

"Of course," Nova put in, "It takes special talent and years of training to treat the slime such as you with the appropriate level of contempt."

"Really?" I asked in disbelief. "And here I thought it just came naturally to you lot. Ignoring you certainly doesn't take any effort whatsoever."

"Oh, I don't know about that." Tychus had apparently also been listening in. "Bein' all high and mighty does tend to take a toll on their intelligence and time. After all, they still spend most of their time dealing with each other's crap. That's a brain-killer if ever there were one."

The reactions of those around us were priceless. Artanis was blinking in shock, likely that we were being so disrespectful. Aldaris was turning a most interesting colour for a Protoss. Selendis, on the other hand, was looking as though Christmas had come early. Tassadar, Zeratul and Vorazun were trying, with varying degrees of success, to hide their amusement. Sarah wasn't even bothering, doubled over in silent guffaws. Finally, we couldn't keep straight faces any longer and we broke down laughing. Managing to regain my control, I turned back to Aldaris.

"Tell me, did you have to develop that ego, or does it just come naturally?"

He looked like he was about to have a stroke, if Protoss could get such things. I continued, "Pal, I don't give a damn whether or not you think we are below you. Your own actions have demonstrated that you aren't worth listening to. But if you want to try and arrest us, you'd better rethink that one."

_ "I am not talking to you, human." _

"The name is Commander Jason Davis, Judicator. You may want to try using it."

"We won't be talked down to by anyone, pal. Not even a Protoss." Jim said coldly.

"Now, how exactly were you planning to arrest us? Your fleet is currently fighting for survival against the Zerg. You can't really afford to have another enemy right now."

"Not to mention that our own fleet is only a few hours out." Nova added.

_ "Good, then we have plenty of time." _ Aldaris snarled.

I shook my head. " _ Temeraires _ , target the Zerg flyers surrounding the ship that Commander Raynor paints. Single salvo only."

Behind me, the  _ Temeraires' _ main cannons elevated skyward. With a crackle of power and a ground-shaking boom, they fired with a massive flash as they accelerated the projectiles to a respectable fraction of light speed.

High above, a fair number of Zerg flyers ceased to exist as the shells burst through their formation before detonating. Aldaris's image flickered as the ship rocked under the force of the nearby explosions. He looked to stagger slightly before regaining his footing. I spoke into the sudden silence.

"Right now, Judicator, we are about the only allies you are going to get. You really want to change that?"

Artanis finally spoke.  _ "Judicator, while you do have the right to advise me, the final decision is mine. I agreed to lead this mission because I wished to make my own assessment of Executor Tassadar's actions. While his actions are unconventional, I do not believe that he is guilty of anything other than finding ways to combat our enemies." _

_ "You were instructed by the Conclave to arrest him, Executor. You choose to follow him into the abyss. The Conclave will not be pleased." _

His image disappeared. Almost immediately, Jess contacted me.

"Commander, the Judicator's forces are abandoning the battle. They appear to be moving outbound."

My eyes widened. For a  _ Protoss _ to abandon their own was almost unheard of, in my experience. It was clear from the expressions and body language of the Protoss around me that none of them had expected it either.

Artanis's anger was apparent. _ "For the sake of our people, Tassadar, I hope this is worth the cost. I have risked much to help you already and we will not receive a warm welcome if we manage to return home." _

_ "If our people are still alive to give us a welcome, then I will consider that a miracle, my friend." _ Tassadar replied.

Artanis nodded grimly.  _ "Commander, you said your fleet was on the way here." _

"Yes. As Nova said, they shouldn't be more than a few hours out."

"Hopefully, we can hold out long enough." Nova herself commented.

""I hate to interrupt people, but..." Tychus pointed out towards the crater rim. Turning, we saw the Zerg appear on the edge of the crater, holding position but clearly looking towards with no small amount of anger. Looking in every direction, we saw the same thing. I drew the Penetrator and loaded it, turning to Artanis.

"Guess we're back on the clock, then. Artanis, it may be better if you pull your fleet down into close range, where we can cover them better." I opened a channel to the entire force.

"Warriors, we stand as one. Our escape is within our grasp. Our fleet is on route to extract us, all we have to do is stand. Today, we take a stand."

As I spoke, heads began to come up and turn. Expressions hardened and weapons were readied.

"They can have this miserable piece of dirt once we've left. But if they want it now? They can go to hell and we will send them there."

The Zerg roared and coiled, ready to spring.

"Today, we will not flinch. We are the finest warriors of the sector. We shall not be moved! We shall not be broken! We shall not fall! We will stand, we will hold, we will teach our enemies why we are to be feared! WE FIGHT AS ONE!"

A ferocious cheer ran around our forces, with a volume that dwarfed the Zerg's angry roar. As the Zerg charged down at us, I snarled a single word.

"Fire!"

As the Zerg barrelled down at us, thunderous fire poured back at them. From the spikes being launched from the Marine's C-14's to the massive scarabs and shock cannon rounds from the heavy artillery, right up to the massive blasts from the  _ Stingrays _ overhead, waves of weapons discharged their fearsome payloads at the Zerg in every direction. The first impact of weapons fire created a 10-metre-high cliff of bodies that the Zerg had to leap down from to get to us. While Tassadar and Selendis opted to remain near Artanis, the rest of us either swung back into the various Vultures or, in Sarah's case, leapt above us towards the front lines. Gunning the Vulture, I sped back towards the incoming fight, leading from in front. Smashing back into the Zerg, utter carnage once again followed with Zerg pieces flying in every direction, the steady flashes of explosions from munitions, along with the occasional, but too painfully frequent, Vulture being overwhelmed, punctuating the battlefield as far as could be seen.

There was little room for fancy tactics here. About the only thing that I could do was drive around madly, using the bulk of the  _ Shredder _ and the cutting arms as much as possible to conserve ammunition, dodge the Zerg attacks, dodge our own attacks and try to keep the bike in one piece. Naturally, this strategy could only work for so long before even the  _ Shredder _ couldn't take much more.

Of course, given my luck, I had to reach that point in the middle of the bloody Zerg army.

The Zerg finally got lucky and hit some of the more critical points in the bike's engine. The  _ Shredder _ lurched and slowed. Cursing, I ran some quick numbers and came to a simple conclusion. The bike had no chance of getting me back to the base.

Which meant that I had to work out another way back, through a Zerg force intent on tearing me to ribbons. Lovely.

I had no time to prepare a grand finale or anything, simply diving out of the bike and watching it explode a few seconds later. Using the momentum, I rolled back to my feet, to find myself surrounded by Zerg of all sizes. Of greatest concern, however, was the Ultralisk currently barrelling towards me to give me a bear hug. Well, either that, or looking to rip me in two. I wasn't keen on finding out, personally. However, I also had a bunch of Zerglings and Hydralisks that were very hungry for my blood. So, certain death, or certain death. Some choice.

I looked around, swiftly deciding on a course of action. I wasn't going to roll over and die for these pricks. So, of course, I did something very stupid.

I charged the damn Ultralisk, guns blazing and sword drawn.

At the speeds we were both moving, it didn't take long for us to reach each other. However, it did take just long enough for a small pack of Zerglings to get in between. Scratch that plan, then, and go for the backup.

As the closest Zergling leapt towards me, I fired the jump jets just enough so that I could use it as a launch pad above the Ultralisk and its lethal blades. With an extra boost, I landed on top of its head, wasting no time putting my sword through its skull. As the massive beast crashed to earth, I spared a quick glance around, trying to find a means of escape.

_ "Need a ride?"  _ Nova asked, her own  _ Shredder _ blasting through a small gap in the Zerg surrounding me.

"Thought you'd never ask." Leaping down, I landed rather less than stylishly on top of another Zergling, using it to break my fall and swinging onto Nova's bike as she punched it around and back through the lines. Holding on with one hand, I blasted at the Zerg trying to hitchhike around us as she danced between enemies.

_ "You do know how foolish that was, don't you? Taking on an Ultralisk alone?"  _

_ "It was that or getting overwhelmed by Zerglings, and I had no chance there. Thanks for coming back for me."  _

_ "No problem. Glad you were smart enough to stay alive. I've got used to having you around."  _

_ "I'm touched. You have a plan for getting back or are you winging it?"  _

_ "Winging it works for me almost as well as you."  _ The Shredder shook under a new round of fire.  _ "Though we may have to revise that idea." _

I groaned.  _ "What did we lose?" _

_ "Main drive's leaking. Going to have to upgrade the armour behind the blades, Hydralisks are managing to penetrate it easier than we thought." _

_ "Yes, lovely, good future thoughts there. How about right now?" _

As if in answer, the  _ Shredder _ lurched to a halt. Nova leapt out of the cockpit, joining me on the roof. "That answer your question?" She yelled above the Zerg.

"Well enough. Any ideas to get out of this?"

"I've got one, but it's pretty bad."

"Well, we seem to specialise in rotten, last ditch ideas. What's this one?"

She sent me a mental image. I turned to look at her in shock. "You aren't kidding, that's horrible."

"You have a better one?"

"As a matter of fact," I stopped to dispatch a pair of particularly troublesome Hydralisks, "No, I haven't." I had a few ideas running around, but they were even riskier than Nova's. The Hydralisks were too close for us to use the jump jets, they'd perforate us before we got out of range and up to speed. As much as I hated it, Nova's idea was the best option.

"Then you'd best cover me, love." Nova closed her eyes and cloaked, as I eyed off the surrounding Zerg.

"Well, this should be interesting."

Out of everything that I had done on Char, this was perhaps the most desperate. Holding off an army of Zerg, perched on top of a wrecked Vulture, while my girlfriend tried to get us a way out. Yeah, I had definitely had better days. There was no room for swordplay, distance was the only thing that would give us a chance, but I had to watch my ammo count as well. So, I couldn't waste a shot.

Thankfully, the Zerg were packed so close, I didn't need to aim. Every shot took down at least one and I had some unexpected help.

Below me, the  _ Shredder _ began to fire as Jess hacked the controls for her own use. Despite the drive being offline, the weapons and targeting systems evidently still had power. Having that support proved to be particularly useful as I couldn't feasibly cover every direction at once. It ultimately turned out to be the difference in us living or dying.

It was odd, though. I had expected her to say something.

Nova suddenly decloaked. "Get down!" She screamed. I didn't hesitate, dropping immediately and covering my head. With a scream of exertion, Nova made her move.

I had seen her power on display before, but her training with Sarah and the Protoss had obviously made a difference. She had levelled city blocks before.

She obliterated almost everything within a kilometre now. The only things remaining in that distance were the two of us and the  _ Shredder _ . I stood, looking around in shock.

"Damn." I whistled.

"Yeah." Nova replied softly.

Around us, the Zerg were obviously dead or stunned by the psionic blast while our allies, though clearly just as shocked, were making the most of the new opportunity. A roar alerted us to a new threat, as an Ultralisk began another charge at us. Surprisingly, though, it was alone. Nova was still recovering from the massive blast she had unleashed, so it had to be dealt with at a distance, and there was no time to switch to the Penetrator.

Back to the original plan, then.

Charging it, I closed the distance quickly, tossing a grenade down its throat before diving under its blades.

Had I been a second slower, I'd be in two pieces. Had I hit the ground, I'd have been crushed. But I was just fast enough to roll on my back, fire the jump jets and use my sword to cut through the damn thing's hide, firing through the wound into its guts for good measure. Whipping out from under it, I banked back up and over it as it collapsed, roaring in pain. The grenade explosion was its final death-knell. Swooping back over Nova, I snatched her up and drove hard for the base, thankfully having enough room to get out of range of the Hydralisks below and Mutalisks circling above. Landing behind our lines, I dropped to one knee and Nova clung to me to stay upright. Selendis, Tassadar and Artanis looked at us in shock. Breathing deeply, I looked up at them.

"Looks like we're all warmed up."

Selendis snapped out of her shock with a chuckle, reaching out a hand to help me up.  _ "Well, if that is the preview, I am looking forward to opening night." _

I grinned in reply. "Then let's get going."

With the battle still raging and getting increasingly dangerous for us, I pulled our attack forces back towards the base, not wanting them to be in the same position as Nova and I had found ourselves. We had survived by a mixture of luck and daring, a combination that was unreliable at best. I wasn't willing to risk more people's lives in such daring tactics, especially not when escape was so close. With Artanis's fleet now in position to provide close support, we could concentrate our defences solidly, providing the waves of Zerg with a firm rock cliff for them to break upon.

And break upon us they did. I don't think that anyone ever managed to work out exactly how many Zerg came at us that day. Their numbers seemed without limit, and yet our bulwark never wavered in the face of the onslaught. At times, the defence was desperate and the Zerg would push hard against us, battling for ground. But we did what so many would have called impossible.

Five separate forces, three races, all united as a single, fearsome alliance against a foe that most would have fallen before.

We held.

Time and again as the hours passed, the Zerg would throw everything at us. Every trick they knew, they used, from Nydus canals to massed overlords and rushes that would overwhelm all other sounds on the battlefield with the fury of their wrath. Millions pummelled our lines and forces, smashing against our defences.

We stood.

Time lost all meaning. All that mattered to anyone was making sure that the Zerg in front of you went down, and the one after, and the one after that. No one could really see if this would end.

Yet, end it did. And when it came, it came with fire.

With a sudden flash, the crater rang with detonations as munitions smashed into the Zerg. The sudden bombardment dwarfed even the one that our forces had opened the battle with. There was only one possible source. Orbital bombardment on a massive scale.

The fleet had at last arrived.

My comm crackled. "Hyperion Actual. Anyone still alive down there?"

I laughed, "Matt, you're a sight for sore eyes. Glad you didn't take your time."

"Well, we had a little bit of help with that one. Tell you about it when you get here. Now, let's get you all out of there. Duke, Warfield sends his regards, says he's got a ride for you."

"Tell him I appreciate it." Duke replied. "How do you want to do this, Davis?"

"Dropships, squad by squad. We've got the fire-power in orbit now; we can take our time and get this right."

"Now, that's what I wanted to hear." As the first wave of dropships arced down towards us, we both began to bark orders. We all knew that the heavy guns had to be among the last to leave, as even with the support from above, we had no chance without them. The Protoss ability to warp out gave them an advantage in that regard as well, so we'd previously agreed that they would be one of the last to withdraw. Sarah's Zerg were also still fighting, but Overlords were constantly ducking down to retrieve them.

As a sudden charge swept towards the base, our evacuation had left us undermanned to the north. Without any time or desire to redeploy forces, we had to deal with it with what we had.

What we had there was Sarah, Nova and myself.

In all honesty, the two women dealt with it very effectively, I was mostly just along for the ride. Sarah was going full psionics, energy blazing from her, decimating any Zerg crazy enough to approach her. Only the most cunning and powerful were able to evade her long enough to get into range, where they met Nova.

Sarah, right now, was raw power. Nova was finesse. Her own psionics were on display, but they weren't crushing and twisting her enemies like Sarah's. Instead, she was aiming for soft targets, blowing heads off, either with her powers or her rifle.

Even though I was using the Penetrator to full effect, I definitely ended up with the lower end of the kill count out of that battle.

Around us, our forces shrank as they continued to board the dropships. Matt had also managed to evacuate our main base, so our full firepower was concentrated here. The Zerg must have known that they had little chance of stopping us by now, yet they never ceased coming. Finally, we had almost everyone on board. Jim brought the  _ Liberator  _ swooping down just above ground level.

"I think we've worn out our welcome, Jason." He yelled over the comm. "Get the hell on."

Still firing, Sarah, Nova and I backed towards the  _ Liberator _ . Sarah and Nova swiftly climbed on board, while I helped the  _ Liberator _ to cover them. Once they were on, I followed suit. Slamming the airlock switch, I keyed the comm.

"Get us the hell out of here."

Jim didn't hesitate, pulling the  _ Stingray _ up, the last ship to leave Char's surface. We certainly char-grilled at least some of the Zerg below with our engines as we left. Driving hard for deep space, we pushed out past the remaining Zerg flyers. Sprinting to the cockpit, I skidded to a stop behind Jim.

"We have an assembly point?" I asked.

He nodded. "Matt sent it through."

"Then let's get going."

Around us, the fleet began to wink out as they accelerated into warp. I took one last look at Char as we began our own run-up and grinned.

"Won't be sorry to see the back of that hellhole."

The next second, the image of Char was replaced by the eerie beauty of warp space.

We had escaped Char.

The war had entered its final stage.

Or, at least, so I hoped.


	40. Out of the Frying Pan

**A warning to everyone, there will be some coarse language ahead.**

I let out a sigh of relief. The last few weeks had been trying to say the least. We had been delayed on Char for far too long, and I knew the chances of saving Aiur were shrinking by the moment. Yet, it was a battle we couldn't afford to lose. I turned to Jim.

"How long to the assembly point?"

"Half hour, tops. Matt thought we'd want to get things sorted quickly."

"Definitely. Let me know when we reach it."

I left the bridge and headed to the tactical room. As I entered and saw the data from the previous few weeks waiting for me, I slumped as the true cost of our time on Char hit me.

Through careful selection of engagements and good tactics, up until today's battle, we had managed to drastically restrict our losses. I wasn't sure of Duke's losses, but between us and the Protoss, we hadn't lost more than a thousand, out of a force of 150,000. Even the losses among Sarah's Zerg weren't that high, well under 10%. Given she had a close to a million, that was still impressive.

All that had changed with our last engagement.

Of our forces that had survived so far, not even half were capable of fighting at the moment, their wounds were too severe. On top of that, over  _ thirty thousand _ Terrans and Protoss had fallen in that final battle, rescuing Artanis. Over 20% of our ground forces present that day, nearly 10% of our entire manpower, had died in that battle, and that wasn't including the Zerg losses. While they could be replaced relatively quickly with biomass, there hadn't been much time to harvest that in our exodus, and Sarah was down over a third of her captured forces.

Only a fool wouldn't question if the price we had paid was worth it. Even with Artanis's forces added to ours, it had been a major blow to us, and our ability to wage war had been hit for six. Munitions, equipment and vehicles could all be replaced. 30,000 lives could not.

I lost track of time reflecting on the cost. I heard things being announced over the comm but paid no attention. When the door hissed open behind me as the three main Protoss leaders entered, with Nova behind them, I started. Glancing at the chrono, I saw that we had to have reached the assembly point. Behind them, all the other commanders and leaders entered the room, from the Raiders, the Protoss and the Dominion. Straightening, I fixed Artanis with a glare.

"I am going to be having some serious words with your Conclave when I catch up to them. Not to mention, that bastard Aldaris."

The Protoss reeled back at the venom in my words. Nova stepped up to my side quickly. "What's wrong, Jason?"

What little restraint I had on my temper evaporated. "What's wrong? I'll tell you what's fucking wrong." Nova took a hasty step back as she realised just how close I was to exploding.

"THOSE FUCKING BASTARDS HAVE COST US OUR BEST CHANCE OF WINNING THIS WAR! THIRTY THOUSAND DEAD, HALF OF WHO'S LEFT BADLY WOUNDED AND FOR WHAT? BECAUSE WE HAD TO RESCUE A FORCE THAT WAS SENT TO HUNT US DOWN. ALL BECAUSE THOSE STUPID, BUGGERING PRICKS CAN'T TELL FRIEND FROM FOE! THAT ENOUGH OF A REASON TO BE ABSOLUTELY, FUCKING PISSED OFF?!"

By the time I had finished letting rip, everyone had given me a hell of a lot of space. Duke and Warfield were ashen, Tychus was shaking and the Protoss were trying to find a corner to hide in. Even Jim and Sarah had noticeably backed away. Nova was the only one that had stayed close. She gently laid a hand on my arm.

_ "Jason." _ Her voice was the calming balm that I needed at that point. Closing my eyes, I fought my temper back under control. Shaking, but focussing on what needed to be done once again, I opened my eyes, giving Nova a thankful nod. I focussed back on the rest of the group, only now taking in their mixture of expressions. I chuckled, rather amused that losing my shit had scared the hell out of some of the most powerful people in the sector.

"Relax, all of you. As I said, it's the Conclave that I want to take the head off, not you lot."

Sarah managed a smile. "Yell at them like that, you won't need anything else."

"Amen to that, sister." Tychus managed.

I slumped into a seat and waved the others to theirs. "Right, so now that I've finished venting," a grim chuckle ran through the room at that, "We need to work out where we go from here. Duke, Warfield, I'm going to assume that you are going to take your forces and head back to the Dominion."

Duke nodded grimly. "Despite everything on Char, we are still enemies, Davis. I'll thank you for the aid you gave us, but..."

I nodded. "There's no way you can stay. I understand, General." Standing, I offered my hand to him. "Regardless of our differences, I appreciate what you've done."

He nodded. "I'll keep in mind what you've told me, but I'd appreciate it if you tried not to cross paths with us again."

"For now, at least, you've got a reasonable shot at that. The Zerg are the real threat, at least the one that we can face, so that's where we'll concentrate on for now. You can tell Mengsk that we still haven't forgotten about him, though."

"He'll love that, I'm sure." Warfield smiled. "It's a pity we never really got a chance to fight together, Commander. I get the feeling we'd have got along just fine."

"As I've said before, the Dominion isn't the problem, it's the guy at the top."

"Sure glad to hear that." Joanne poked her head around the door. "Be a shame to have to wipe the floor with you."

I grinned. "You tried that once before, kiddo. Didn't work out real well, as I recall."

"Next time, old timer. Next time."

"Don't make promises you can't keep. Look after your old man, he's finally starting to become a reasonable person." I laughed.

She grinned, giving me a quick hug before backing away. Behind her, Kara stepped forward slowly. "I was hoping to ask a favour."

I raised an eyebrow. "You can ask, by all means."

"I want to stay."

The room went silent at her words. Both my eyebrows were raised at this. After a moment, I looked towards the rest of what I'd come to think of as my 'inner circle', Jim, Sarah, Nova, Tassadar, Selendis and Zeratul. The sheer range of experience and ability in that group was unmatched by anyone else in the sector, in my opinion. By now, we could practically read each other, when we wished. Of course, the fact that Jim and I had years of experience working with each other and all the rest were either mentally linked to one of us, exceptionally good telepaths or both may also have helped. I could see their reactions to the idea without any difficulty at all. Turning back to Kara, I asked her a question.

"Why?"

"You did save my life, when you had absolutely no reason to and really every reason not to spare me. That has an effect on a girl. The way I see it, you need every bit of help you can get where you're going. You know that I can help. I'm free to choose my own path. This is the path I need to be on."

I glanced at the others again, seeing the same opinion I held. She might be willing to help, but I could also sense Duke's hand in this. He knew reasonably well what we were up against. Being hamstrung by Mengsk, he couldn't do anything direct, but Kara was a free agent. Ultimately, I decided that if Duke wanted to use her as a spy so he stayed informed of our progress, I couldn't care less. As Kara herself had said, we needed everyone we could, and this dirty little secret might just come back to help us one day.

That, or it would bite us on the arse. Bluntly, though, that was far from an uncommon situation and, mostly, it had worked out for us.

I nodded slowly. "Fair enough. Welcome aboard." I grinned quickly. "Officially, that is." As Kara sat, smiling, I exchanged a quick glance with Duke. His expression was guarded, but not unreadable. Confident that I had read everything correctly, I gave him a small nod. He returned it as he left with Jo and Warfield. Turning to the Protoss next, I began the proper part of the meeting.

"With the Zerg on Aiur, we don't have much time. Nonetheless, we're in no position to engage in another open war so soon, especially if the Conclave decides to waste their energy on fighting us."

Tassadar nodded grimly.  _ "I agree, but as you said, we have little time. Whether my people consider my actions treason or not, I must return to Aiur." _

I sighed. "How do we stand for supplies, Ros?"

"Not well. Munitions are low among the forces that were on Char, and there are a lot of holes in our inventory. If we go to Aiur now, we'll be down to clubbing Zerglings over the head with the rifle stocks in very short order."

"Matt?"

Matt shrugged. "We have the supplies to replenish everyone, but it will take time to refit and rearm. Best guess, a week as a minimum."

"Plus, we're not going to be fighting at our best if we go straight to Aiur now. That week is going to be a minimum to let everyone recharge, Jason." Jim pointed out.

I grimaced, having come to the same conclusion. The only problem was that it was far from certain whether Aiur would still be standing in a week. "Artanis, you were the most recent person on Aiur. You know the level of the assault better than anyone. Can your people hold out against the Zerg that long?"

_ "That is a difficult question to answer. The Zerg were pressing their advantage, even before we left. I do not know if they can hold without sustaining major casualties." _

"Damned if we do, damned if we don't." I shook my head, irritated by the conundrum. "Can we shake enough forces free from those that weren't on Char to at least slow the Zerg?"

Matt shuddered, clearly uncomfortable about the idea. "We might be able to get a small force together, but even then, it won't be easy."

My shoulders slumped. "Do what you can, Matt. Get me a task force or two that we can send to Aiur with Tassadar. I don't think that launching a ground assault is a good idea just yet, that might make it look like an invasion. But we can strike from orbit and help maintain control over Aiur's airspace. That should be doable, surely."

He brightened. "If you're happy with that, then definitely. Ryan and Morris should work for that well."

I looked at Tassadar. "It's not a lot right now, I know, but-"

_ "But every bit helps, yes. It will help to contain the Zerg, at least, especially if the Conclave decides to fight us rather than the Zerg." _

"Let's hope they aren't that stupid. But I'll go and have a chat to Butler, just in case. If we do have to end up fighting them, it would be nice if we could use something that doesn't kill more Protoss than the Zerg already will. Let's avoid firing at the Conclave's forces unless they fire at us first, too."

He nodded.  _ "I would appreciate that. I am not overly keen to fight my kin." _

"On that note, Jason, what about the Zerg we have?" Sarah asked. "Even with the losses suffered on Char, they can still fight."

"True, but I doubt the Conclave are going to take kindly to your appearance."

"Then they can jam it sideways. Beggars can't be choosers and they're going to need every bit of strength they can get, just to survive. I can take our Zerg, strike behind their lines, cause some chaos and pull back. Done smart, we can keep them occupied for a while, at least take some of the pressure off."

I glanced at the others around the room, none of us really disagreeing with that. The Conclave, and the average Protoss, would likely freak out. On the plus side, at least they might be alive to freak out, if Sarah did as she had suggested. I nodded. "Do it. They'll be ungrateful as hell, but we can deal with that later."

"Sounds like the story of our lives." Jim snarked.

"Hearing that. Matt, did you manage to find the transmitter on the  _ Hyperion _ ?"

"I was wondering when you'd ask about that." Matt replied. "Yeah, we did a sweep through and found it. Pretty damn nifty thing too, embedded in the Adjutant's sensor network. We had to practically rip out the entire wiring system for it and redo it, but we got it."

I raised an eyebrow. "Nice. I'll take it with me, give it to Butler, see what his boys can make of it, as long as it's completely offline."

"I'll get on it."

"Right. So, we have something approaching a plan."

"You're going to see Butler personally?" Jim asked.

I nodded. "The  _ Liberator _ is a tough little ship, but we've been using her pretty hard. I want to get some things checked out. Shouldn't take long, but I don't know when we'll get another chance."

Selendis nodded.  _ "Do you have room for a passenger? If the rest of the fleet heads to Aiur before your return, you will need a guide." _

I smiled. "I'd appreciate it."

After some discussion over logistics and other, more mundane matters, the meeting broke up, everyone having plenty to do. Thirty minutes later, the  _ Liberator _ , with Nova, Selendis and I onboard, left the fleet and headed out for the  _ Terra Firma _ .

But not directly. We had another stop to make first.

Two days later, I looked over a familiar view with familiar company. After all, the last time I had set foot on Antiga Prime, both Nova and Selendis had stood with me. Leaving the  _ Liberator  _ in the outer reaches of the system, we'd taken the shuttle in towards the planet. Even if I had been concerned about finding Louise again, a glance out of the viewport told me it wouldn't be an issue.

She was already waiting for us, a small smile on her face.

"I must say, Jason, you've proven to be extremely entertaining. Leaving you alone for a couple of months and you turn everything, upside down. Again."

I inclined my head with a small grin. "Isn't that what we're here for?" My grin faded somewhat. "But it isn't going to be enough, is it? That's why you called us here."

She grimaced. "I don't know. What you've done will give you the best shot at the Overmind you could hope for. It's after that which concerns me. The Overmind is the primary force stopping Sarah from falling to the Zerg's corruption now."

"And we have to kill it in order to save the sector, hence removing Sarah's biggest safety net. Wonderful." Nova commented.

"Unfortunately, yes. Freeing her mind from the remnants of the Confederacy's shackles helped, but I'm not sure it will be enough. That Ghost friend of yours isn't going to sit back and wait for us to win either, you can bet he will be stirring the pot."

I snorted. "I don't take sucker bets. I take it he's one of the agents you warned us about."

"Yes. One of the most powerful. In fact, at this point, I suspect he's our enemy's top agent in the sector. He's likely holding back at least some of his strength in your last few fights."

I nodded grimly. "I figured that much. Still caught him by surprise last time, but I doubt he'll take me so lightly if we face off again." I sighed. "Our best chance to save Sarah is to take him out of the picture soon."

"Agreed. Assuming things go much the same way, the UED will show up not long after the Overmind is killed. They will sweep across the sector, probably capturing both Korhal and Char, including the infant Overmind that the Cerebrates grew after Aiur. They manage to use it to control a reasonable portion of the Swarm. I had the remainder, and 'persuaded' Mengsk, Artanis, Zeratul and Jim at different points to help me. Jim and I helped Mengsk retake Korhal, then I turned on them both. That has to be your deadline. If we're to have any chance to stop Sarah from falling victim to him, we have to take him out before then."

"Do you have a name, for what little good it will do?" Nova asked.

"Samir Duran is the name that he used last time. He posed as a former Confederate Ghost who defected first to the UED, then to the Zerg, before vanishing again. He resurfaced under the name Emil Narud during the Second Great War, leading a group called the Moebius Foundation. They helped Jim assembled the artefact that restored me, but for their own reasons. After that, they pretended to be loyal to the Dominion until Jim and I took out Arcturus. After that, they showed their true loyalties."

_ "And if we fail? Finding an agent of the talents that this Duran has shown is not going to be a simple task."  _ Selendis asked.

"Then our only chance is the artefact. That will take time, which you might be lucky enough to have. There was four years between the two major Zerg offensives, time that all sides used to build up their strength. If you can preserve your forces, you can position yourself for that battle far more easily and with greater effect than the others. But I recommend not going after the artefact too soon. It was the discovery of the piece on Mar Sara that triggered the Second Great War."

"Wait, back up.  _ Mar Sara?" _ I asked. "Mar Sara has a piece of the artefact?"

Louise nodded, reaching out to me, holding a data pad. "The coordinates are on here, along with the only other piece I know of, on Monlyth. Moebius will probably ask you to retrieve them later on. They have the most research on them."

I nodded. "So, we can play the naive sucker and get as much information out of them as we can."

"It is dangerous, but yes. Force will not win this war. Information is the key to our victory." She looked at me. "Jason, things have changed enough that I can't predict exactly what will happen. We  _ must _ play conservatively. Save as many people as we can and not over-extend ourselves. The odds of rescuing Sarah in time are slim, though not impossible, but the artefact will still be required eventually to remove the Zerg's corruption from her completely. But if you can't rescue Sarah, people will die and there will be few that could face her in open combat."

I swallowed. "I know. Even in the mock spars against her, I know I've been massively outmatched at close range. The only way, for now at least, I'd stand a chance is at long range. She's far more reliant on close-combat than sniping now and that gives me an edge, if I can sneak up on her."

"Agreed. Nova and you together would stand a chance in close quarters, that mental bond of yours would give you an edge, in more ways than one, but I would be surprised if any other Terrans would stand any chance. As for Protoss, Tassadar and Zeratul were the only ones that were ever able to match me in any way. And the artefact, in the form you would need to free Sarah, is dangerous to use around Protoss."

"Lovely. A fight to the death, against a close friend who we can't kill, but she will have no problem killing us." Nova snarked. "Any good news?"

I shrugged. "At close quarters, that might be right, though I think that's a fair way off on all counts. But the rest of our forces can at least distract her, if necessary. That should help even the odds. I'd rather it didn't come to that, though. We'll have a few tricks of our own we can use, though." I looked back towards Louise. "Anything else that we need to worry about?"

"The Psi Disruptor. The Confederacy built it on Tarsonis, but it was the UED that found it. It causes havoc among the Zerg, cuts their communications. It might be a useful tool to deal with them if you can keep it safe."

Selendis's eyes brightened.  _ "Could we use it to stop Duran from affecting Sarah?" _

Louise hesitated. "I don't think so. At least, I had enough power to get past it at close range."

"Damn. Still could be useful, though. You know exactly where it should be?"

She nodded towards the data pad. "The coordinates are on there as well." She paused. "Jason, things aren't going to get easier any time soon. You've got a good shot at the Overmind on Aiur, but the people are more important. Save them if you can." Her eyes flicked towards Selendis. "I heard rumours that the Protoss once built massive arkships to evacuate their race if needed. If they exist, the Zerg mightn't have destroyed them yet. Even one would allow for masses of Protoss to be extracted."

I spun towards Selendis. "You know anything about these ships?"

_ "I have heard of them, but I have no clue as to their location. I do believe that they do exist, however." _

"That might just make the difference on Aiur, then." Nova said. "If we can get those people out, it could earn us a lot of good will, along with saving those lives."

_ "You can be sure that we will need everyone we can in the battles ahead. Even if that was not the case, we cannot abandon my people, not when there is a chance to save them." _

I gave a feral grin. "We won't. Count on it."

Louise nodded. "Watch yourselves out there. I can't save you every time."

I frowned, before the pieces dropped into place. "It was you working that Shredder, not Jess."

Nova blinked, looking at Louise with a new respect. "You can extend your power that far?"

She grinned. "I've had a lot of time and practice to hone my strength and skills. The distance is only a problem if you consider it one. It's far from the first use of my powers at inter-stellar ranges."

I shook my head. "Yeah, forgot about that. Matt mentioned that there was something odd about their trip back to Char. Your doing too?"

"The Overmind was able to open and stabilise a portal capable of transporting almost the entire swarm from Char to Aiur and I have as much raw strength without the restraints on him. Accelerating a far smaller fleet through warp space isn't that much of a challenge for me. It is tiring, though, so don't count on it that often. But Sarah has just as much power, even if she has yet to learn to use it. Even Duran has a respectable fraction of it; it's how he can control the Overmind. Well, that and the knowledge his master gave him."

"So, how did I get the drop on him, if he's that powerful?" I asked.

"As you said, he was over-confident. He expected an easy fight and you surprised him. What you lack in psionics, you make up for with cunning, guile and determination. It's why your enemies, including me before all this..." She waved a hand around, indicating her various 'travels', "...want you out of the fight. You seem to have the knack for pulling the impossible off, with minimal help from anyone." She blinked suddenly. "That reminds me. You mind if I borrow that sword of yours?"

Surprised, I drew it out nonetheless and gave it to her. She seemed to concentrate on it for a few moments and the sword glowed a bright purple suddenly before fading back to normal. She handed it back, looking quite pleased with herself. I accepted it, testing it for balance. Finding nothing wrong, I asked her, "What did you just do?"

"Imbued it with psionic energy. You'll need it against Protoss; those psi-blades of theirs would have cut through that without any problem at all. Your armour can take more punishment, but I'd still try not to run onto a psi-blade if you can help it." She gestured suddenly and the short blades in the ABS extended. She did the same thing to them, with the same results, before stepping back, satisfied. "That should at least give you an even chance against Protoss blades and the Zerg aren't going to like it much, either. Thankfully, it doesn't take a lot of energy, since it's just reinforcing it, rather than creating a blade from nothing. It will last for quite a while, but if it does run low, Nova here should be able to recharge it without a problem."

I grinned. "Thank you. I get the feeling I'm going to need it. Aiur's going to be one hell of a fight, I'm guessing."

"Of course, and it's not going to get any easier." Her smile faded. "I don't know if you can win all the fights ahead, Jason. But one thing you have to ensure. Keep. Sarah. Alive. For as long as she's alive, regardless of her mental state, we have a chance. Without her, we're finished."

I swept the sword around, before sheathing it. "Count on it." I stated, seriousness dripping from my voice.

She smiled grimly. "Never doubted it." She embraced me gently. "Good luck, Jason."

It was a quick jump from Antiga Prime to  _ Terra Firma's _ current location, so there wasn't much time to reflect on Louise's words. Thankfully, Butler was in a much better mood than when we had last set foot on the station.

"Jason!" He grinned as we descended the  _ Liberator's _ boarding ramp. "Good to see you. Glad you got off that hellhole, Matt told me you had some trouble there."

"You're telling me. Hoping for a quick favour."

His grin widened. "Let me guess, a quick check-over of the old girl here? You've been using her hard, must be taking its toll."

I nodded. "We'll start with that. I'll explain on the way. Got to say, those  _ Temeraires _ really proved their worth. Not sure we'd have got off Char without them."

"Thought you'd appreciate them." He caught sight of Nova. "And how's my favourite girl doing?"

She grinned cheekily. "Having lots of fun, Wilkes. Kicking arse and taking names, like you always said."

He laughed before turning serious. "What else is it you need?"

"We're heading to Aiur next and we may well need something that can incapacitate Protoss." I replied.

Butler looked at me, then at Selendis. "You happy about this?" He asked.

_ "Not at all, but the alternative is killing my brethren, and the Zerg are doing enough of that. We do not need to add to it, nor is it desirable to me." _

"Well, when you put it like that..." Butler trailed off, thinking. Finally, he continued, "There's one option, but not sure how well it's going to work. We did some upgrades to the old suppression net technology. It's not perfect, but we designed them to deal with Zerg, so they should hold Protoss without too much trouble."

I sighed. "Well, that's a start. Between that, the lockdowns and EMPs, it will give us a chance at least."

Butler nodded. "It will take us a couple of days to look over the  _ Liberator _ , we'll see if we can come up with anything else."

"Thanks. Before I forget, got something for you." I pulled out a data disk and handed it to him.

"What's this?"

"We got into a tight spot on Char, not a lot of mobile anti-air firepower. So, we knocked some ideas around and came up with some Vulture variants."

Butler stopped and stared at me in disbelief. "You came up with new vehicle designs,  _ in the field _ ?"

I grinned and pointed at Nova. "Blame her, it was her idea."

Butler turned towards Nova in shock, then shook his head. "Of course you would come up with that. I think Jason's rubbed off on you too much."

Nova raised an eyebrow. "Would you care to rephrase that?"

Butler blushed as he suddenly realised his mistake. His mouth flapped for a moment before he got himself under control. "His craziness is infecting you too. You knew what I meant."

"Of course, but you did dig your own grave with that." Nova snarked.

Butler looked at me. "Little help here, please Jason?"

I held up my hands. "You got yourself into this mess, you can get yourself out. I know better than to argue with a woman."

Butler shook his head. "Traitor. Anyway, we'll knock some ideas around, see what we can come up with. Anything else?"

"No-Yes." I corrected myself. " are rumours of some kind of Protoss arkship, designed to evacuate large portions of their civilisation. I'd like you to ask around, see if anyone knows anything about it. If they do exist and it's possible, I'd like to try and use them. I doubt we can save Aiur, but we can save its population and those ships would be a damn good start."

Butler looked stunned. "Are you serious?"

"That's what I've heard."

"Hard to believe, but I'll ask. I'll get some rooms set up for you and your crew, shouldn't take more than a few days."

"Good, because we don't have a lot of time to spare. Tassadar's leading the Protoss to Aiur now and the Zerg have already been there a few weeks. We're playing catch up from a long way behind."

Butler snorted. "Story of our lives."

"You've got that right."

Getting everyone out of the  _ Liberator _ while she went through her examination was easy enough and Nova and I were quickly set up in one of the rooms near the  _ Liberator's _ hanger. Once we'd managed to escape all the small talk and niceties, we retreated to the room and looked at each other. Nova was the first to speak.

"This is going to be a mess, isn't it?"

I collapsed onto the bed and nodded. "Mess is a polite way of putting it. We're walking into a shit-storm six ways from Sunday, and we're running almost blind."

"Key word being 'almost'. We've changed a lot of things, Jason."

"Yeah and despite that, we still have Sarah infested while fighting for control of her own mind and the Overmind steadily reducing Aiur to rubble." I shook my head. "We have achieved a lot, but is it enough? Louise didn't seem to think the odds of Sarah winning her fight were good, which means we need to plan to have her against us at some point."

Nova grimaced but didn't refute the point. "What can we do, Jason? She's family to us."

"I know." I stood and started pacing the room. "I god-damn know that and that's what makes this so hard. We can't give up on her, but we can't fully trust her either. We’re damned if we do and damned if we don't."

"Hey." Nova laid a hand on my arm to interrupt me. "This isn't exactly new to us and even Sarah and Jim understand that there's a lot of risk with this. They didn't push because they understood it was better for them not to know." Nova looked me in the eyes. "They trust you, Jason. Even if we lose Sarah, it will only be temporary, because you'll do whatever it takes to get her back."

I sighed. "I know and I will. That doesn't change the fact that if we can't stop this, then we're sentencing a sister to years of torment and torture."

"Jason, how much would she have suffered already if you hadn't got to her in time on Tarsonis? What would her state of mind have been by now? This won't be easy for anyone involved, but you've already helped her immensely. How many people would have died without her help? You've already said that the Zerg weren't going to stop hunting her and we can't protect her forever. We did the only thing we could."

"I know and I know there isn't another choice. I'm just afraid of where this one will lead us. The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Nova grimaced. "We're committed now, Jason. We see this through, to whatever end."

"I know. That's what I'm afraid of."

True to his word, Butler had the  _ Liberator _ fixed up swiftly. He even managed to squeeze a few upgrades in as well. Everything was given as advanced an overhaul as time allowed. The crew would have to finish a few things up on the trip to Aiur but that was simply going to have to be done. Against what we knew we were walking into; we needed every edge we could get. Butler gathered us before we left.

"All right, Jason. We weren't able to come up with much, but we've got a few tricks for you. From what you and the Protoss here have told me, you used lock-downs to good effect against the Protoss static defences on Tarsonis."

I nodded. "Right. Trouble is, they can only be used by Ghosts and we don't have anywhere near enough for a full-scale assault on their home territory. Plus, it will only take down one at a time."

Butler nodded. "Right. So, we came up with this." He hefted a clip of ammunition. "EMP rounds. Miniaturised the technology from the Science Vessels, with a little bit of adaptation from the  _ Stingray's _ gun batteries. They won't shut them down completely, but they'll drain their shields and psionic energy pretty quick. We've been working on them for a while to use as an anti-Ghost counter, but they'll work just as well here."

"That makes them less dangerous, for sure, but they'll still have their weapons."

"The Zealots won't, these will stop them from being able to activate them as well. But the rest of them, yes. The ground defences should be possible to deal with using standard fire-power and most of the Protoss vehicles are robotic too."

"That leaves the Dragoons as the remaining ground threat." I replied. "Plus, I can't imagine that their air support is going to go down easily."

Butler grimaced. "That is the problem. Not overly sure what you can do about that."

"The ships we can force down, target engines and such, though if they're flying Arbiters, that's going to be a problem, those stasis fields of theirs will be difficult to deal with. But the Dragoons will be the issue – especially taking them out of the fight, without killing them." I considered the possibilities, before turning to Selendis. "How strong is their shell?"

Selendis shrugged helplessly.  _ "They are durable and can take much punishment, but they are not unbreakable." _

"And the section holding the fallen warrior?" I asked, knowing that was the key area to preserve. "How well protected is that?"

_ "Again, reasonably armoured but not to a point where it is impossible to damage." _

"Then we'll have to see what we can come up with." I shook Butler's hand. "Thanks for everything, old friend."

Butler smiled, but there was seriousness in his stance. "Good luck, Jason."

"I think we're going to need it."

The journey to Aiur was more or less uneventful. Sorting out the last few bits and pieces was straight-forward and by the time we reached the Protoss homeworld, we were at full readiness, flying faster, tighter, hitting harder and shrugging off more than ever before.

Just as well, considering what we walked into.

A vicious three-way battle was under-way as we dropped out of warp, the Overmind's Zerg were attacking everything in sight, while the Raiders, teamed with Tassadar and Sarah's forces, were trying desperately to hold them back. The Aiur Protoss were also fighting for their lives against the Zerg, but were still taking shots at our fleet. Nova, Selendis and I stared at the chaos.

"That's what we've got to try and get through?" Nova asked.

"We've got no choice." I replied, looking at the tactical display, working out an approach path and keying on the intercom. "All hands, prepare for attack. Hold your fire until my command. Ready the mines."

_ "You are going to try and slip through, take them by surprise." _ Selendis asked.

"For as long as I can." Gunning the engines, I darted towards a portion of the hostile Zerg force, paying no attention to us. That was a mistake. They should have recognised the  _ Liberator _ by now. Sliding between a pair of leviathans, I gave the order. "Engage."

Mines streamed out of the ship, drifting towards the enemy who was suddenly forced to pay attention to us, given the amount of firepower we were now unleashing. There was no way we were going to kill a leviathan; even the  _ Liberator _ would struggle in a one on one fight like that, and we didn't have the time to stay and pound it. But we could hurt them and, far more importantly, we could disrupt their momentum. All around us, the Zerg began to turn in, trying to engage us, but there was no way we were hanging around long enough for them to get a good shot off. As we approached, I saw the  _ Sanctuary _ under heavy assault from a Mutalisk group and swung in that direction. Keying the comm, I called the ship.

"Roland, cut down and left, now!"

Thankfully, whatever surprise Roland was feeling wasn't enough to dull his reaction, as the massive battlecruiser swung down perfectly. With a clear line of fire, we roared over top of him, laying waste to the Mutalisk swarm. Swinging around, we swept into position beside the battered ship.

"Talk about good timing, sir. Where'd you come from?"

"Had to tidy up some loose ends. Anything I need to know?"

"Everything's gone to hell in a handcart. We need to get at least one of these guys off our backs or we're going to end up spaced real fast."

"I'll deal with it." As we cruised around, I spotted a familiar ship pressing our flank. Heading in that direction, we blasted though the melee and aimed straight at Aldaris's carrier. With a hail of gunfire, we cleared it of any attacking Zerg and settled in on its stern.

"Aldaris, I would have hoped you'd know better than to piss me off, given the last demonstration I gave you. Break off your attack, or I'll give your ship a makeover that you'll never forget."

_ "Perhaps you should have told your forces not to fire on us." Came the snarled reply. _

"I had. I strongly doubt that they fired on you first, which means that it was you who engaged them. The vast majority of people that have fired on us haven't survived. I'm sure you don't want to add yourself to that particular list."

_ "Tassadar destroyed the core of our civilisation, the Heart of the Conclave." _

I frowned. "Then you must have seriously irritated him, enough for him to try and give you more important things to worry about than fighting him. Tell your forces to concentrate on the Zerg, or you will regret it." To illustrate my point, I fired straight past his side, dropping his shields in the process, before resettling my aim on his stern. "You have twenty seconds to make your choice."

I wasn't familiar enough with Protoss to translate exactly what he was saying, but I guessed that it was his opinion of me, my ancestors and the various, unspeakable acts that we had all got up to. By the increasingly dark colours that Selendis's face was going, I thought I was on the money.

"Five seconds, Judicator." I interrupted.

_ "All forces, concentrate on the Zerg. These traitors and primitives can wait for another day. But I will not forget this, human." _

"I wouldn't want you to. I don't have much time for cowards." Before he could come up with another burst, I cut the channel, waiting to see that he'd keep his word and his forces would obey him. Thankfully, both happened. All around, Protoss ships disengaged from us and focused fire on the Zerg. Sarah had been smart enough to keep hers away from them, so only the Overmind's forces were receiving the new firepower. I sighed; one potential disaster averted.

In short order, the Zerg broke off their attack electing to support their ground forces rather than continue to die against us. Between the two, it gave us some much-needed breathing space. Directing our forces around to another part of the planet to avoid any 'accidents' with the Conclave, I called the various commanders.

"Ok, so I've been gone a little over a week and everything seems to have gone to hell. Why exactly did Tassadar-" I paused, realising Tassadar wasn't actually present. "Where is Executor Tassadar?" I asked quietly

Jim bit his lip. "He's, occupied."

My eyes narrowed. "Jim, you'd better explain that real fast."

Artanis looked as nervous as a Protoss could.  _ "After destroying the Heart of the Conclave, he surrendered to them, stating he had no desire to continue killing his brethren." _

There was silence on the channel as I digested the news. "He did what?" I said, my voice quiet but icy.

The others looked around nervously, realising that I didn't actually need an answer and deciding not to give me an obvious target for my mounting anger. "Let me get this straight. He knew that we need everyone we can get; he knows the stakes we face and the tasks ahead of us and he decides to surrender anyway?" I asked.

Artanis nodded. It took me a minute or two to rein my temper in. "OK, I'm going to break him out, THEN I'm going to kill him."

Jim's relief was palpable, but it swiftly vanished as I continued, "Jim, you're going to come with me. Bring the  _ Hyperion." _

Not waiting for him to finish his spluttering, I turned to Artanis. "I assume you're not planning to leave him down there either."

_ "No. As you said, with the Zerg on the loose here, we can ill afford for one of our best commanders to be wasting away in a prison cell." _

"Good. Then let's go sort this mess out." My eyes narrowed at him. "You ever heard of some kind of arkship?"

Artanis flinched, just enough for me to notice.  _ "How do you know of them?" _

"That's irrelevant right now. I don't think that we can drive the Zerg off Aiur, which means we'll have to evacuate the planet, and those ships are the best chance we've got. Do you know where we can find them?"

Artanis seemed to splutter, before shaking his head.  _ "I do not. I know of their existence, but I was never given the location of any of the three of them." _

"Schematics? Do you know what to look for?"

Artanis seemed more and more shocked.  _ "Yes." _

"Then we need to find those ships and quickly."

Artanis nodded.  _ "I will send you what data I have. The Conclave will not like this, but their actions are destroying our people. You are correct, Commander, we need those ships." _

I nodded and turned to the other commanders. "Everyone, keep engaging the Zerg but scan for those ships. We need them. If you find any of them, let me know immediately. Do not engage in a ground offensive yet, we need to be incredibly careful where we land. Also, find the Cerebrates and the Overmind. We'll need to go after them soon, to cause the Zerg some issues for once."

The commanders nodded in agreement and everyone understood the stakes had never been higher.

We had to win this fight, or we wouldn't get another chance at victory.

It was game on.


	41. And into the fire

As the rest of the fleet began to press forward, I turned to Sarah. "All right, Sarah. How much do you have left in the tank?"

"Enough to draw their attention. You know that we're going to have everyone on our tail again, don't you?"

"Yeah. Yet another thing for Tassadar and I to have words about once we bail him out. But what choice do we have? Even if we didn't need him, we don't leave friends behind."

"That's one thing I'm very glad about. What do you need?"

I gestured towards the tactical display. "Pick a hotspot and try and give the Protoss some breathing room, without necessarily attracting their attention. Try and keep your forces as intact as possible, hit and run tactics, you know the drill. But I want you up here."

She frowned. "What for?"

"If we find any of those arkships, then there's a fair bet that there will be at least some Protoss defending them fanatically. If the Zerg find out about them, then they'll attack them with everything they have. That's going to be a massive hot spot and we'll need all we've got to stand a chance there."

She and Jim exchanged glances. "Fair enough. It would be nice if Tassadar knew where to find them. Save us a lot of trouble."

I smiled slightly. "It certainly would." I turned back to Artanis. "So, do we know where they're holding Tassadar?"

He nodded, manipulating the display.  _ "Here, on this island. We will not make it across without transports or an orbital drop." _

I nodded in agreement. "Those are some serious defences, too. An orbital drop is out of the question and a ground assault won't be easy."

‘Won't be easy’ was an understatement. Not only were there five entrenched positions scattered both around the island and on it, each with mechanised and infantry support, but a sizable air force also defended the island, including a small fleet of Arbiters and Carriers. Telltale shimmers also indicated that there were plenty of Observers in play as well. Clearly, the Conclave was expecting us to try and free Tassadar, and they were taking no chances. It infuriated me that we had to commit people and resources to fight a battle that should not have been necessary, but there was simply no other choice.

_ "There is an additional complication." _ Artanis said unhappily.

I turned to him. "All right, let's hear it."

_ "From what I have been able to gather from their transmissions, the defence is led by an old friend of mine, a warrior that fell before I left Aiur but was installed in a Dragoon body. Praetor Fenix." _

Selendis turned in surprise.  _ "Fenix? Can you not convince him to aid us?" _

Artanis shook his head.  _ "No, and I have tried. Our bond is strong, but the list of crimes, both actual and perceived, that the Conclave has laid at our feet and the presence of Sarah's own Zerg forces is too much of a betrayal for him to listen to me now." _

"So, we have a battle-hardened, actually competent commander driven by rage and out for our blood, and we can't kill him. Wonderful." I shook my head. "Well, it won't be the first time we've had to pull a stunt like this off."

Sarah smiled. "You're thinking New Gettysburg, aren't you?"

"Similar, but not identical. After all, we have more to deal with and more resources now." I nodded towards Artanis. "From what you've said, I doubt Fenix will be willing to talk, so we'll have to be a bit more forceful in our tactics. But we can do that and some of the gear and specs we brought with us from Butler should help with that too."

Artanis inclined his head slightly.  _ "You expected this." _

"Not exactly expected, but the odds of having to fight Protoss without killing them were simply far too good not to prepare for the possibility."

_ "I am glad that you did. I have no desire to fight my people and even less to kill them." _

Jim snorted. "Now, if only more Terrans were like that, we might not have been at war for so long."

"If we hadn't been like that, there's a good chance we'd have been absolutely overrun before we got any kind of resistance in place." I countered. "Believe me, I'd take peace over war any day of the week, but those constant skirmishes are probably the reason why we're still alive." I sighed. "Anyway, we'd better get down there. Tassadar isn't going to free himself."

Thankfully, about ten kilometres north of the island, there was a group of ruins with mineral deposits inside that would serve us well as a base. While Fenix's patrols did range out that far, they didn't come often, and it would give us time to get ready for the fight ahead. With the first of the fortified encampments only two kilometres away, we were also well within striking distance.

They'd know we were there, of course. The  _ Hyperion _ and  _ Liberator  _ were easy to spot, even from a distance, and the Protoss fleets in orbit above would have no doubt tracked our descent, along with the small armada of Protoss ships. But we'd come with enough firepower that they couldn't risk an immediate attack.

Of course, relying on a primarily Protoss force for support brought its own challenges for me. Where I would have usually deployed bunkers and siege tanks, we had to rely on the photon cannons, which weren't quite as powerful in my opinion. Granted, the shields made our lives far easier but we still had yet to make progress on being able to repair Protoss structures in the field, as even Butler and his team hadn't managed to work that one out yet. While the last few months had made us more familiar with Protoss units, structures and strategies, I wasn't able to immediately pick the ideal tactics as I was with my own forces. Thankfully, Artanis was far more capable on that count, so I was happy to leave the base set-up and deployment to him, while Nova, Jim and I secured the perimeter. Jim stayed in overwatch, patrolling from above, while Nova and I worked from the ground.

But Fenix's forces didn't seem keen on giving us the time to settle in.

"Jason, we've spotted a small Protoss war party approaching from the south-east." Jim called suddenly.

Artanis shook his head.  _ "We are not ready to repel them harmlessly yet." _

Nova and I exchanged glances. "If you can spare Selendis, we'll deal with it."

He nodded.  _ "Very well." _ Without any further words, Selendis joined us swiftly and the three of us headed to confront the Protoss scouting party.

We didn't have to wait long. No more than a few hundred metres from the base, we encountered them. Six Zealots and two Dragoons: not a massive strike force by any means, but enough to cause us serious problems if they got past us, enough that we'd have to use lethal force.

So they couldn't get past us. I nodded slightly. "I'll take the Dragoons."

Nova nodded. "I'll take left."

_ "Which leaves the right for me." _ Selendis agreed.

Neither side looked like they were keen to chat. The Zealots charged swiftly, psi-blades lashing out, while the Dragoons swiftly unleashed their own supporting fire. Anyone else would have been decimated by the incoming violence.

The problem for them was that Nova, Selendis and I all had considerable experience at dealing with battles where we were drastically outnumbered. Eight to three wasn't even a threat anymore and even the necessity of dealing with them without killing only increased the difficulty a little.

Selendis's battle-hardened skills were fully on display as she danced from one Zealot to the next, ensuring that none of them got a clear line of attack on her. Her speed and skill were exceptional, parrying every attack on her without exposing her to injury while she was able to inflict enough damage on her opponents that they could no longer fight. Three against her, even skilled warriors, was nothing more than a warm-up.

While Selendis faced her opponents openly, Nova was less inclined to give her targets anything like a fair fight. Flickering in and out of visibility, she struck from the shadows, always keeping her enemies on edge, uncertain of where the next strike would come from. None of them stood any more chance against the young and talented Ghost than those facing Selendis.

As the Dragoons moved up to support the Zealots, I reminded them that they still had to deal with me, putting down a small hail of gunfire in front of them. The awesome response from their disruptor cannons was problematic, to say the least. In terms of pure firepower, I was well outmatched, at least if I didn't want to escalate to lethal force. But I had one advantage against the heavily armoured dragoons. I could outrun and outmanoeuvre them any day of the week. They could use their firepower all they wanted. At least my shots would connect when I fired. All I had to do was whittle them down and dodge the return fire. Simple, I thought.

You'd think by now I'd have learnt not to tempt fate like that.

Obviously alerted by the first group, a second group of Protoss warriors entered the fray, most of whom chose to zero in on the easy target, moi. Taken by surprise, one of the disruptor blasts impacted in front of me, tossing me aside like a rag doll. When I finally rolled to a stop, I was staring at an ignited psi-blade inches from my neck. Various tactical options ran through my mind until I selected the one that gave the best chance of us surviving the next few minutes, let alone days.

Slowly, I raised my hands above my head. "I surrender."

Nova's shock exploded across our bond like a tidal wave.  _ "Jason, are you out of your mind?" _

_ "Nope. Trust me, Nova. I've got a plan. Just get back to base." _

_ "You know I can't do that." _

_ "Trust me or head back to base?" _

Her mental growl amused me, though I kept the expression from my face. _ "You know I can't just let you go like that." _

_ "I know, but you can at least look like you are. Warn Jim and Artanis what's going on, then you can tail me." _

_ "Spring you, you mean." _

_ "No. Think about it, Nova. We have a chance not only to find out where Tassadar's being held and what Fenix's base is like; if Artanis and Fenix are the good friends I think they are, I might just be able to talk him around and stop us having to fight our way out." _

_ "And if they don't listen, then you'll be dead or imprisoned." _

_ "They won't kill me. Not out of hand. Certainly not with the notoriety I have now. They'll want to see what they can get out of me first. Worst comes to worst, they'll stuff me in a stasis cell for a while. Nothing we can't handle. Besides, I do have a plan. You might even call it a rerun." _

_ "You'd better be right about this, Jason." _

In the time we'd taken to have our brief argument, I'd barely blinked, not giving the impression of anything being out of the ordinary. The fact that less than a second had passed also helped.

Nova grabbed Selendis. "Fall back!" The pair swiftly vanished, racing towards the base and outpacing any other combatants. Within seconds, all the Protoss were focused on me.

"So, what now, warriors?"

_ "You and your forces have ruthlessly attacked us. Give me a reason why I should not kill you where you stand." _

I grinned at that. "Simple. You don't kill warriors that have surrendered. You have more honour than that. I can give you others if you want, though."

The Zealot stepped forward, snarling.  _ "Perhaps I might make an exception for you, honourless scum." _

My smile vanished, leaving only cold hardness. "I'll give you a pass on that one, just this once, because your ignorance is dazzling. But say that again, and you will find out exactly why most enemies run rather than face me. I know not all Protoss have honour, Aldaris demonstrated that rather well, running and abandoning his Executor to the Zerg, twice. Do not make me treat you like him." I reached up, grabbed her wrist and squeezed. "I don't have enough patience left for idiots who are too blinded by arrogance to realise who the enemy is."

In a single move, I wrenched her arm around, bringing the psi-blade level with her own neck and my foot resting casually against her arm. All I would have to do is give a little shove, and she'd be dead.

"So, who are you, girl? Are you an enemy? There are a lot of Protoss here now that would be dead, if my orders to my men weren't to avoid killing at any cost. Killing me would change that very quickly, don't you think?"

I hadn't forgotten about any of the others, but they weren't going to risk the life of their comrade to kill me. At least, I hoped so.

Thankfully, I was on the money. The psi-blades around me deactivated. I released the Zealot and allowed her to stand.

_ "Very well, human. But you will come with us." _

"Naturally. But would it hurt for you to actually use my name, for once? It's more than a little rude."

The Zealot shook her head.  _ "You are very difficult to predict, Jason Davis. Very difficult indeed. Since you request for us to use names, I am Talis." _

"Well, Talis, predictability gets you killed. I learnt a long time ago to avoid allowing most to predict me."

_ "I will admit one thing. It takes an extraordinary amount of courage and daring to engage a force that outnumbers and out-guns you to such a margin." _

"We humans have a saying. It's not the size of the dog in the fight. It's the size of the fight in the dog."

_ "You think you had more desire to win the fight than us, defending our home world?" _ Talis sounded incredulous. I stopped and faced her, staring her dead in the eye.

"In a word, yes. We lose this fight, and the sector may very well follow. That is the scale of the battle we're fighting."

Talis stared at me for a moment.  _ "You truly believe that, don't you?" _

"Without a shadow of a doubt. There are dozens of places I'd rather be and a million things I'd rather deal with. But right here, right now, this is where I need to be."

Talis turned and continued, but with more haste than before. Something had evidently sunk into her skull because we reached the main Protoss encampment very quickly. As we passed through the defensive lines, I noted the variety of Protoss cannons and shield batteries that were defending the area. Above them, scouts, carriers and arbiters patrolled the skies, giving an excellent impression of impenetrability to the area. I couldn't see the observers, but I knew that some of them had to be up there too.

And they'd let me simply stroll through the front gate, fully armed. I had to mentally shake my head at that. Not that I was complaining, but even so. The sheer display of power was somewhat damaged by the ease with which they had let me through. All I could say was that it was a good thing I didn't actually intend to destroy everything in sight, because I still had enough firepower to do it, now that I was inside.

A massive Dragoon turned towards us as we approached. I had no doubt about who I faced.

"En Taro Adun, Praetor Fenix." I bowed slightly and waited for the shock of the surrounding Protoss to make itself obvious.

I didn't have to wait long, but the mere second of delay was enough for me to recognise Tassadar in the stasis cell behind Fenix.

Fenix stomped up to me.  _ "You know me, human?" _

I shook my head. "Seriously, what is it with the superiority complex that practically every Protoss seems to have? It's not only insulting, but it's getting boring, even with the amusement I'm getting shaking it out of you. And I thought you were supposed to be smart."

That got a few tempers riled up and weapons activated. I simply stood still, maintaining my grin.

"I have a name, Praetor. Use it." The temperature of my voice cooled by several degrees.

Fenix was just as angry as the others. In fact, only Talis seemed to still maintain her calm and I rather thought that was because the realisations that she had come to as she had 'escorted' me here.

_ "You want my respect, human. Earn it!" _

My grin widened. "I thought you'd never ask."

Throughout my career, I had operated on a number of different essential rules of combat for my tactics. Being unpredictable and concealing your intent from your enemy had been two of the major ones I had used time and again to great success. Making enemies angry was another one. Angry foes rarely thought clearly and were often that much easier to outwit. But there was one principle I followed above all others.

Fight the fights you need to fight but use the power you need to make sure you win them. The principle itself could be boiled down to simply 'Violence of Action'. I'd even given Talis a hint along those lines as we travelled. I guessed that she'd realised that whatever plan I might have, it was better not to get in the way. Because when I put my plan into action, she was the only one who was smart enough to stay clear.

The flash-bang that I'd managed to palm during the walk went off just after I dropped it, creating utter chaos. As the Protoss reeled back from the sudden assault to their senses, I went on the attack, diving behind Tassadar's holding cell as the alarms rang out. Planting a small charge on the prison cylinder, I stayed on the move, ducking under a Zealot's psi-blade before laying him out with an armoured and electrified fist. With a little tap to the jump jets, I was diving over the incoming attackers, switching to the EMP ammo I had loaded the MPAC's with before deploying. With a roar, they spun up, blasting out incredible amounts of power, overwhelming shields and crippling psionics with staggering speed.

That still left me with intensive firepower from the Dragoons and photon cannons, as well as having to start to worry about the air support that was starting to pay attention to what was happening below, but I was turning the force of the enemy in upon itself. Without having to worry about hostile close-quarters combat, I could take the Dragoons at close range. Without having to worry about shields, and with Louise's modifications to my blades, the armour protecting the Dragoon's legs was easy prey, crippling their movement and giving me a blind spot where they couldn't target me. Fenix, however, was wily enough to evade my attacks and get his forces into some semblance of order, pinning me down at one end of the camp. Enemy or not, I had to admire the skill with which he re-organised his troops and deployed them. Given enough time and with a degree of luck, he might even be able to turn the battle around.

Unfortunately, time was not something I was going to give the good Praetor. I wasn't sure about him, but I was on one hell of a timetable and I did not have the luxury of waiting around for him. Ducking up to give them a quick spray of gunfire, I glanced around to get my bearings. Behind me lay the main defences for the entrance, a dozen photon cannons spread wide with overlapping fields of fire, ready to shred any force stupid enough to attack head on. With six shield batteries protecting them all, they were an impressive obstacle. Even a force with Arbiters to deploy, like us, would have trouble dealing with them...

...Until you came to the fact that these structures were all powered by a measly pair of pylons. That bit of strategic idiocy made me shake my head. That was absolutely fine to defend from an external attack, but against a foe already inside the gates, like I currently was, you may as well have given me the keys and said, 'help yourself’.

Drawing the M12, I lined up the first pylon and promptly blew it back into the warp, picking off the second almost immediately. Those few seconds, as valuable as the results were, cost me dearly, as Fenix used my distraction to rain hell down on me. To make matters worse, the air forces had finally come up to support Fenix, including the Arbiters. I loved those ships, but only when they were on my side. Facing off against them, on foot, did not fill me with any thrill at all. I was going to have to time this very closely indeed.

Elevating the M12, I took a snapshot at the flanking edge of one of the Arbiters, just enough to scratch it really. But the already sparking component exploded from the impact as the Stasis field that had been about to activate suddenly failed to materialise, due to the emitter being abruptly and violently taken offline. The resulting blast brought the Arbiter crashing down in the nearby river, taking it completely out of the fight.

Unfortunately, there were two, and the other learnt from his wingman's mistakes. One second, there was a flare of blue light, the next, I had a Protoss army surrounding me. This time, they were a lot more wary and there wasn't any more room to manoeuvre at all. I stood slowly, lowering the rifle as I went.

"So, tell me  _ Protoss. _ Am I worthy of your respect?" I was pretty damn sure I'd got my point across.

Fenix walked through the circle of warriors.  _ "Perhaps there is something to your words, Commander. Despite your firepower, not one of my warriors is dead. Talis mentioned you gave your warriors the instruction not to kill. You seek battle, even with the handicap you have placed upon yourself?" _

"I'll save the killing for those that actually need to be killed. I don't think you're foolish enough to place yourself in that category. Not if what Artanis has told me about you is correct."

_ "Perhaps not, but it was an expensive way to prove a lesson. You are, quite literally, at my mercy now." _

"Maybe. But then again, maybe not. You've studied my records by now, I'm sure. Alone, surrounded and defenceless, that, historically, has not worked out well for people facing me. Because there is one thing you really should remember about me."

_ "And what, pray, is that?" _ Fenix sounded amused.

"I'm a tactician. Deception and misdirection are my stock in trade. So, if everyone is looking at me, what does that mean?"

Fenix suddenly realised exactly what I meant; he'd been so busy watching me, he'd ignored everyone and everything else. Nova chose that moment to make her appearance, locking down the remaining Arbiter and the escorting carrier. The  _ Hyperion _ barrelled in, forcing both down to the surface with rapid fire. Behind her, a pair of our own Arbiters arrived, swiftly recalling a massive ground force deep inside Fenix's primary base, and the stunned Protoss were swiftly disarmed by Artanis's loyalists. Selendis, Nova and Artanis walked over towards Fenix, Talis and I, weapons covering the pair of Protoss.

_ "Old friend, I had hoped we would not have to do this. But you leave me no choice. Order your forces to surrender. You can see you are outmatched." _

Fenix took in his position quickly, but whatever he was about to say was lost as I detonated the charge on Tassadar's cell. The Executor collapsed onto his knees out of the smoking ruins. He looked up, just in time to see my fist on a collision course with his head. The force of the impact rocked Tassadar, smashing him onto his back.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF SANITY WERE YOU THINKING?" I roared into his face. "YOU KNOW THAT IT'S THE ZERG WE NEED TO DEAL WITH! WE COULD HAVE EVADED THE PROTOSS AND FACED THE ZERG IN OTHER AREAS. WE DIDN'T HAVE TO TAKE ON TWO ARMIES, JUST FOR THE GODDAMN HELL OF IT!" I hoisted him up by his armour, utterly incensed. "WHAT POSSESSED YOU TO THINK THAT ATTACKING THE CAPITAL, WHERE THE RESISTANCE TO THE ZERG, WHO HAPPEN TO BE OUR ENEMIES, WAS BEST ORGANISED, WAS IN ANY WAY A GOOD IDEA?" I shook him. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Tassadar blinked, somewhat stunned by the unexpected release and the even more unexpected blow shortly thereafter.  _ "By taking the Conclave out of the fight, authority would revert to the field commanders that would have a better picture of the situation. The Conclave hamstrung us at a time when we could least afford it. They would only hamper our efforts, but we could at least bargain with the field commanders to cooperate." _

"And what were the odds of cooperation after assassinating their command structure? Did you think about how low that would likely be?" Yet I had to admit, Tassadar's strategy made a degree of sense. The Conclave was our primary obstacle to getting the Protoss people, as a whole, to work with us. Even so, it was a high-risk strategy and one that really should have been discussed before he attempted it. To try a stunt like this solo, well, it was a level of stupidity that I would have expected from the Confederacy, not from Tassadar.

_ "I did take them into consideration, yes. But our odds were never particularly high to begin with. One thing I have learned from you is that sometimes it is better to risk everything on a high-stakes gamble and push than to hold back and wonder what may have been." _

Dammit. He did have a point and, using that logic, it was easy to see me pull the same stunt. I growled wordlessly. "At least I'm good at stupid, it's not your usual style." I sighed and shook my head, then released him. "Don't you ever pull something like this again. I might not be around to drag your arse out of the fire a second time."

He snorted.  _ "Understood, Commander. My thanks." _

As he finished, several Protoss carriers, shuttles and scouts warped into position above us, deploying interceptors almost immediately. I grimaced as I recognised the markings on the ships. "Don't mention it. We’re not out of this yet." I replied, raising my rifle and opening a channel. "So, Aldaris, you're deciding to stick your neck in where it's not wanted again, are you?"

_ "Commander, you have been a thorn in our side for the last time. Praetor, you will execute both Tassadar and the humans, immediately." _

Fenix's reaction was instant, but not what I had expected at all. With a degree of synchronicity that I had rarely seen, Fenix's troops levelled their remaining weapons at the Judicator fleet as Fenix replied with a degree of contempt I had not expected.  _ "Judicator, the last time I took orders from you, you abandoned me and my men to die. Now you ask me to kill some of the very few that might be able to save our home. You have finally asked too much from me, Aldaris." _

Numerous Protoss warriors appeared from the shuttles as Aldaris snarled his reply.  _ "You too would betray your oaths then, Praetor? Since you are so attached to the traitors, you can die with them!" _

At that point, I was pretty confident that I was about to buy the farm. Jim and the others might be able to escape but I was certain that Aldaris would make damn sure I didn't get back up again. But this time, it was my turn to be rescued.

A second Protoss fleet warped in and a large number of troops decloaked, blades already levelled at Aldaris's troops. One of them I recognised instantly.

_ "I think not, Judicator." _ Zeratul said quietly.  _ "You do not want to waste your life here, do you? Retreat from this place and you will see the moon rise once more. You have tested my patience long enough already." _

_ "You think you can kill me, Dark One?" _ Aldaris replied coldly. I could feel the contempt practically roll off Zeratul.

_ "Between one heartbeat and the next, Templar." _ Zeratul promised darkly.

_ "Rest assured, Aldaris, if he does not, I certainly will." _ Selendis agreed.

Artanis glanced at me and with a single movement, we both levelled our rifles at Aldaris's command ship. " _ Right now, Judicator, I rather think you have more to lose than we do. Withdraw while you still can." _

Aldaris was clearly counting numbers and working out the situation was no longer under his control.  _ "You will pay for your crimes one day, traitors." _ With that, the Judicator forces withdrew back to their fleet and fled north. Artanis and I were both tracking the ship until it was out of sight before we finally lowered our weapons. I turned towards Zeratul.

"Very timely, my friend. I was starting to think that was going to be curtains for me." I said, exceedingly thankful to see the old Protoss.

Zeratul chuckled.  _ "You seem to like rescuing people. It is nice to be able to return the favour for once." _

I shook my head ruefully. "I'm sure it is." I glanced towards Fenix and Talis. "So, do we have any issues left to deal with?"

_ "Not from us. What do you plan to do next?" _ Fenix asked.

I smiled mirthlessly. "Save your people's stubborn hides, whether they like it or not. The Zerg aren't the primary threat here, but that doesn't mean we can ignore the devastation they're dealing out. We need to get as many civilians out of here as we can."

Sometimes, timing couldn't be worse. Jess's call at that second was thankfully not one of those times. "Commander, we've found something."

I turned away from the others slightly. "Hit me, Jess."

"I think we've found one of the arkships, but it's under heavy attack and there are a lot of Protoss in the area that seem to be non-combatants."

I turned back to the others, a small smile crossing my face. "And I know just how we're going to pull it off. Let's get everyone back to the ships. Time waits for no-one and we're going to get on with the job we came here to do."

"Amen to that, brother." Jim cut in over the comm. "Get your arse back here, those Protoss aren't going to hang on forever."


	42. Falling from the Sky

Storming into the tactical room with the ground team leaders, I greeted Jess briefly. "OK Jess, what do we have?"

In response, the display split into two. "We have located the position of a number of the Overmind's key Cerebrates. While they will not be simple to deal with, they are more exposed than perhaps anyone expected. A tactical strike against their position may be possible."

"And cause the Zerg some considerable issues along the way." I looked at Tassadar and Zeratul. "You two worked rather well killing those Cerebrates on Char. Ready for a repeat performance?"

The two battle-hardened warriors looked at each other with satisfaction before turning to me.  _ "Consider them dealt with." _ Tassadar said.

I grinned. "Never doubted it." Turning back to the display, I spoke to Jess. "Alright Jess. You told me you'd found an arkship. Where is it?"

The other half of the display suddenly focussed on an area approximately 200km south-west of Antioch. Even at our height, everyone could see the sheer numbers of Zerg swarming all over the terrain. A group of small blue points, indicating the Protoss defenders, were almost entirely overwhelmed by a massive cloud of red Zerg markers.

Nova was the first to speak. "That's one hell of a force to deal with. We can't win against that, Jason."

"We don't have to, not forever. All we have to do is get to that ship and make sure it gets off the ground. Still, it's going to take nearly everything we have."

" _ Then Artanis and I should accompany you, Commander."  _ Fenix contributed.  _ "We may be able yet to counter any problems in command that the Conclave have placed in our way." _

"I appreciate it, but we're going to need even more than that." I sighed and pressed the comm, signalling Sarah. Within seconds, her face appeared on the tactical display, startling Fenix.

"What's up, Jason? I'm a little busy at the moment."

"I know and I don't like it, but we're all about to be busier. We've found an arkship, but without everyone we have, they aren't going to survive long enough for them to launch."

Sarah closed her eyes. "You know just how badly this could go."

"Of course, that's why I'm walking into hell beside you. Never was going to be another way we'd do this."

"You don't know how much that means to me. All right, send the coordinates, we'll be there."

"Appreciate it, Sarah. I'll see you on the ground. We don't have the time to mess around and I don't intend to."

Switching channels, I contacted Ryan. "Captain, we have our target. Have the fleet converge on the following coordinates. There's a Protoss facility we need to defend at all costs. Full deployment is authorised."

Getting an acknowledgement, I keyed off the comms, turning to the assembled commanders. "OK, people. It's time to go hard, because we sure as hell aren't going home now."

As the  _ Liberator _ approached the battlefield, we could see the absolute carnage from on high. Protoss and Zerg were tearing at each other with a frenzy that was as powerful as it was brutal. But the sheer numbers of the Zerg meant that the Protoss were slowly but steadily being forced back. The battle could only end one way.

At least, that's the way it was until we got involved.

Much of the Protoss forces that fought with us were elsewhere on Aiur. Tassadar and Zeratul were engaging the primary locations of the Cerebrates, trying to fracture the Zerg collective, and had taken many of the Protoss troops and fleets to achieve it. Artanis, Selendis, Vorazun and Fenix were still with us but even they had only a fraction of the army that they wielded to assist us.

However, the Zerg that Sarah commanded  _ were _ present in full force and rapidly began to deploy around the beleaguered Protoss defenders, not close enough to risk being fired on by the Protoss, but close enough to draw off at least some of the pressure. While Sarah and the Zerg were greatly outnumbered by the enemy, they in themselves outnumbered the Protoss by two orders of magnitude, meaning they could relieve a lot of the pressure on the Protoss even without support.

But by far the most memorable was the arrival of our fleet. Through all the various engagements, we had managed to not only preserve our existing fleet, but even encourage some more defections from the Dominion through our various missions since Tarsonis. Matt had managed to continue the trend while we had been stuck on Char. All of that meant that we had close to a hundred battlecruisers to drop on top of the Zerg, along with the support ships and fighters. Such a display of force in a single battle hadn't been seen since the final days of the Guild Wars. Even Tarsonis and Char hadn't borne witness to such an event.

Gun batteries rained fire down on the Zerg, instantly roasting millions of Zerg where they stood. Yamato Cannon strikes detonated Ultralisks, depriving the Zerg of much of their heavy assault force. Wraiths darted between the firestorms, engaging the Scourge and Mutalisks at close range, keeping them away from the massive ships causing such havoc. The  _ Stingrays _ , while smaller than the battlecruisers, were no less capable, wielding their own weapons to devastating effect. Within minutes, we had cleared enough of a landing zone that we could begin to deploy to the surface.

With a quick dive and flare, the  _ Liberator  _ dropped into unloading position on the Protoss base. A massive  _ Temeraire _ tank rumbled out of the hold, with infantry flooding out beside it. Nova and I charged out as well, watching as the other ships began to unload their own troops.

I keyed both comm and loudspeaker. "All right people, those Zerg are going to be back real soon, so let's get this set up fast.  _ Temeraire  _ platoons, I want you and the siege tanks on the high ground! If any Zerg that ain't friendly shows its snout, I want it blown off. Engineering, get those bunkers and turrets online. I want every entrance covered so that the Zerg get nothing but lead if they try to walk in. Marines, Firebats, man those bunkers and let's give them a hell of a ride. Goliaths, Vultures, I want a patrol route set with heavy kill squads. Get those mines out and deployed. I want this position so entrenched, they'll have to dig to the core to get past us! You read me, people?"

"SIR, YES SIR!" came the overwhelming response as the troops moved out to follow the orders that I'd given them. As they moved out, Sarah landed perfectly next to me and the four Protoss, along with Jim and Tychus, swiftly approached.

"How long do you think it will hold for?" Sarah asked quietly as her Zerg moved to reinforce the position.

"Hopefully long enough." I said grimly as I took in our surroundings. Quite deliberately, we had landed in a hole in the Protoss lines that the Zerg had managed to break through. With the position reinforced, the Zerg would have far more trouble breaching the base, but there were a lot of very nervous Protoss scattered around our position, rather freaked by the presence of Zerg in our defensive lines and only partially reassured that their defensive hole was now plugged.

I nodded towards the nearest Protoss encampment. "Come on. Let's go convince them to let us bail them out." The nine of us moved towards the Protoss, a formidable group in our own right.

The group of Zealots almost shook as we approached them, a far cry from the arrogance that Aldaris had had on full display. It was almost a refreshing change, except that with the Zerg coming at you, fear was not a particularly desirable emotion to experience, whatever the subject.

I nodded my head in greeting. "En Taro Adun, warrior. My name is Commander Davis, and we are here to-"

However, we were rudely interrupted by a group of Zerg that slid through the barricade behind the Protoss too quietly for them to hear.

"Engage!" I finished my sentence, drawing and aiming swiftly. The startled Protoss were shell-shocked as our fire cut past them. Only when they heard the screams of the dying Zerg did they comprehend exactly what had just happened. As the silence replaced the roar of our weapons, I turned to the Protoss warriors, still startled at the sudden turn of events. "Now, as I was saying, we are here to reinforce your position. Perhaps, you'd be so kind as to take us to your commanding officer."

One of the poor Zealots nodded shakily and gestured for us to follow him. With a final glance back towards the defences, we followed him into the depths of the facility. As we moved deeper, we encountered more and more Protoss, some moving purposely with a military air, others huddling helplessly. My lips thinned as I realised the difficulty of the situation. Defending civilians always added a layer of headaches that I could do without.

Finally, we reached the command centre. An Executor was calling commands to his underlings in a measure of organised chaos. The room went silent as everyone noticed our presence and the tension skyrocketed.

I inclined my head. "Executor, our forces have taken up position on your northern flank. We can help hold this position for a time, but we both know that we cannot hold forever."

The Executor's eyes narrowed.  _ "Is there a reason why you state the obvious, Commander Davis?" _

"Let's cut the crap, shall we? We both know what is buried here and what it can do."

" _ How do you know of the arkship?"  _ He demanded.

"Is that important? You have the capability to evacuate everyone here and a large fraction of the population of this planet. If ever a time existed when the arkships were needed, it is now."

" _ And you intend to help us? Why?" _ His anger was noticeably fading, but it was still difficult to get a read on him.

"This fight is far bigger than you know. Aiur will fall, there is nothing we can do to stop that now. Our task now is to save the people we can. I'm no fool, Executor. If the Protoss fall, my people won't stand a chance alone. We have the knowledge of how to begin to reverse our fortunes, you have the capacity to help us and your own people. You have nothing left to lose and everything to gain."

The Protoss Executor stared at me before his shoulders slumped.  _ "I wish it was as simple as that." _

"What do you mean?" Nova asked. "How can it not be that simple?"

" _ The arkships were forged with technology that is almost beyond our understanding now. Only a select few have the knowledge and ability to reactivate them, and none of them are here. The few that remain were part of a convoy on their way here, but they have run afoul of the Zerg. They have managed to find shelter for now, but we cannot spare the forces necessary to extract them." _

"Then it's a good thing we're here, then isn't it?" I smiled.

" _ It is not that easy, Commander. The defences surrounding them are immense. Even your forces could not crack them without heavy casualties." _

As he spoke, he brought up the tactical display for the surrounding area. With one glance, I could see the truth of his words. The situation that we had seen from above had only worsened around us during our landing. The Zerg were pressing every flank and had innumerable reinforcements to call in upon us. Thanks to the fleet support we had, the battle was more or less stuck at a stalemate, but that was not going to help us when we had to achieve a win here. I glanced at Sarah.

"I think we need to get a closer look at the battlefield, don't you?"

Sarah frowned. "You thinking what I think you are?"

My lips thinned. "I'm not sure we have another choice. We need to get this pressure off, and we know how to do that. It's just achieving it that's problematic. But if we're lucky, very lucky, then we might already have the edge we need to pull it off."

Sarah nodded. "If I can redirect some of my Zerg to assist Tassadar and Zeratul, then we can get an answer pretty quickly."

"Do it." I turned to the others. "We need to get Sarah close enough to the hives to try and isolate the commanding Cerebrates. If we're lucky, then Executor Tassadar might just be in a position to assist our own efforts."

" _ Executor Tassadar? How can he aid us when he is not even on the battlefield?" _ The Executor asked.

"Because he's leading a strike force that's hunting a group of Cerebrates. There can't be that many left, the odds are good that at least one of them is commanding forces here. If he can take them out, we can take advantage of the resulting chaos to punch a hole through the enemy lines, weaken the siege enough that we might just be able to extract your convoy. How large a force are we talking about needing to extract?"

" _ We sent the last of our elites to escort them. Perhaps ten thousand in total are left." _

Jim cursed. "Too many for a quick smash and grab. Otherwise, the  _ Liberator _ might have been able to break them out."

"So, a ground-based escort then. That's not going to be an easy task." Tychus commented. "They'll be injured and weary too, Jimmy. We ain't going to be able to move fast."

" _ Then we are back to the original plan."  _ Artanis finally spoke.  _ "If Executor Tassadar and Zeratul can disrupt the command structure, that is our best chance of success. We must hold this position until they succeed." _

"We'll have to do more than that." I said quietly. "We have to make sure that convoy survives long enough for Tassadar to pull it off. Even with the fleet, we can't do that from here. We're going to have to go out and try and intercept any assault force there as well."

Silence fell around the room. Finally, the Executor spoke.  _ "Commander, you know that is a suicide mission." _

"And what choice do we have? You said it yourself. This arkship won't fly without those scientists. Their position is far less tenable than our own. They won't survive long unless we can find a way to take the pressure off them and I don't think we can afford to wait for Tassadar and Zeratul to kill the Cerebrates. We have to go out there ourselves."

Before anyone else could say a word, Selendis tapped controls on the tactical display, projecting an image of Tassadar in his own command chair to one side.  _ "Executor, we have a situation that we need your aid with." _

" _ What is it you require?"  _ Tassadar asked.

" _ The Zerg here are proving more of a threat than we anticipated. We are yet to confirm this, but we believe that at least one of the Cerebrates you face commands a significant portion of the enemy forces present at our location. If we are to make any significant headway against them, then we need to ensure the Cerebrates controlling them are either distracted or dead." _

" _ A sound strategy. I take it that you intend to confirm this."  _ Zeratul commented.

Sarah nodded as she entered the conversation. "I'm going out there now to see if I can isolate the commanding Cerebrates for each force. I'm sending Zerg forces to your location so that I can cross-reference their mental signatures, see if I can connect one or more of the Cerebrates to our immediate foes.'

"Not alone, you're not." Jim replied.

Before Sarah could refute that, Nova weighed in. "We do our best work together, Sarah. You know that."

She sighed. "Yes, I do. I suppose you're in on this too, Jason?"

"Try and stop me. You're incredibly strong and powerful, Sarah, but you're not invincible, even with your Zerg as support. Someone's got to watch your back and we seem to keep getting nominated for that particular job."

" _ Before you go, Commander, you will need this."  _ The Executor held out a crystal to me.  _ "Give it to the lead scientist. She will recognise that you are operating with my support and will trust you far more easily because of it." _

I pocketed the crystal, nodding. "I appreciate that. We could use something going right for a change."

" _ We will make our best efforts to push forward here. Even if your suspicions are wrong, it may still cause the Zerg to pause."  _ Tassadar stated before he closed the transmission.

"Then we'd best get started here too."

As we emerged from the base, the familiar noises of battle reached our ears. The mixed  _ crump _ of impact shells, the whistle of spikes, both from the Zerg and the Marines, the roars and shouts from all sides; all were now intimately recognisable to me. So far, we were holding, but we were still far from an ideal position. Defence alone would never win this battle. It was time to go on the offensive, but this would likely prove to be one of the toughest battles of my career. Against such odds, we had little room to deal much damage, but there was even less choice. I looked around the surrounding soldiers, knowing that many of them would never see a sunrise on another world. This world would be their tomb and there was little I could do to change that. All that I could do now was ensure that whatever sacrifices were made, it was not in vain.

The problem I had was that I needed to not only command the defence of the arkship, at least of our own forces, but also to lead the strike force that was to guard Sarah. I could not be in both places at once. This meant I had a difficult decision to make. I turned to Sarah and Jim.

"I have to leave this part of the assault at least in your hands. I can't afford to be on the field of battle with you this time."

Sarah smiled sadly and held my hands. "You're still watching my back, Jason. You're just doing it the way that you used to. Here is where you and Nova are needed most. This  _ is _ where you need to be."

"Just doesn't feel right." I sighed.

"You won't be sitting this out, Ranger. You're just making sure that we can continue to have a chance in the battles to come. Warriors come and go but tacticians like you are far less common. We can't afford to lose you, but we also can't afford to lose this fight. Both means you're better here right now."

"Fine." I growled, spinning and storming back up into the  _ Liberator _ . Still fuming slightly, I stalked into the tactical room, barely noticing my old co-pilot, Lieutenant Ros Wythes, slip up the ramp behind me.

"Jess, I want us in the air, right now. Whether or not I'm babysitting, I'll be damned if I'm going to sit this one out altogether." I called as I keyed up the tactical display.

"Of course, Commander." Jess's reply came back swiftly.

"You know growling isn't going to change the situation, don't you?" Nova's voice came out behind me.

I sighed. "I know, but in all honesty, I've always preferred to be on the front lines as a commander and I'd forgotten how much it aggravates me not being there. The fact that it is actually necessary doesn't make it any better."

"True, but you're a better tactician than you are a warrior, we all know that. The fact that you're a pretty good warrior to begin with just says how good a tactician you are. You can save a lot more lives from here and we're not exactly out of the fight here, remember?"

I smiled softly. "No, we are not." As the  _ Liberator _ gained altitude, we could start to bring our power to bear more fully on the Zerg below, not a situation that the Zerg were overly happy with once we demonstrated that fact.

Still, even with all the firepower of the  _ Liberator _ , we were doing little more than removing a few drops from an ocean. Jim was right, I could do far more from here than as another set of boots on the ground.

What I had to do now was find the shatter point to turn the battle around to a position where we might just be able to win it. The problem was, I already knew where the shatter point was, and it wasn't here.

"Jess, link me in to Tassadar's combat telemetry and communications. We're going to need to win that fight to win this one."

Nova blinked. "You're going to try to run two separate battles, thousands of kilometres apart, simultaneously?"

"There's no real choice. We're out of options right now."

Tassadar's image flickered into existence as a new display of battleground telemetry condensed itself in front of me.  _ "I did not expect to see you here, Commander." _

"Times change. We need to give the Zerg something else to think about or we're going to lose this fight. Hitting those Cerebrates is our best chance of making a hole here for us to get some breathing space."

" _ So, you intend to provide overwatch to both battlefields?" _

"It's risky, I know, but if we can force them to split their attention, at least a little, then we have a much better chance of pulling this off. Best way to do that is to coordinate our own efforts as efficiently as possible."

As I talked, I looked over the layout of the two bases. We had the advantage of inserting into a fully established base, reinforcing its defences and setting up for a much longer, far more defensive fight. Tassadar, on the other hand, was on a hit and run style approach, being forced to concentrate his own resources into setting up a protective perimeter that would allow him to survive the inevitable Zerg attacks. Tassadar and Zeratul were also front-line warriors and were often busy fending off Zerg attacks. On top of that, they were lacking many of the more specialised and experimental forces that had proven so effective against the Zerg on Char. Focussing most of my attention in that direction would be best for now.

The two Protoss Commanders had chosen their entry points well. Holed up in a canyon, with several resource areas and only a single passage from Zerg territory, as long as they could suppress the Zerg air forces, they would be able to defend their bases rather well. Now, we just had to work out how to break through the Zerg lines.

A thought had suddenly occurred to me. We had taught the Zerg to fear us, a state that they had never encountered before. We had taught the Cerebrates that they could be killed, just like the rest of us. Thanks to the hive mind, every Cerebrate had witnessed the deaths of those we had destroyed and knew that we could do the same to them. Every living thing felt fear when confronted with a threat to its existence, but the Zerg had lived for too long believing that they were immune to it and confident that they could defeat anything they faced.

They had spent months as the stuff of our nightmares, the monsters under the bed, the boogiemen.

Now, at last, it was  _ our _ turn to return the favour.

Somehow, I doubted that the arrogant Cerebrates, so used to being immune from such minor things as death, would deal with it nearly as well as we had.

A grin began to spread over my face. "Let's shake this up a little."

" _ What do you have in mind?" _ Tassadar asked.

"Get your defences sorted out, go heavy on the cannons and reavers, we don't want the Zerg getting through. But get your carriers and arbiters readied for a fight. Get some harrying attacks going, keep the Zerg off balance."

Tassadar nodded, understanding where I was going.  _ "And use the attacks to slip some of the Dark Templar out to infiltrate the bases, cause some chaos behind their own lines." _

"Bingo. We cause them to have to concentrate on multiple fronts and fear for their own lives all at once. Make them have to think and react like us, for a change."

" _ Psychological warfare against the Zerg, this should be something to behold. You seem to excel at the unconventional tactics, Commander." _

"If it works, you bet I'll use it. Regardless of what the Zerg can be, right now, they are the threat that can end us all if we don't stop them first. The trick is making sure there's enough left of everyone to win the next fight too."

" _ Indeed. We will begin our probing attacks shortly." _

Focussing my attention back on the local battle, I nodded in acknowledgement of the defences being mounted against the Zerg attack waves. Sarah was taking advantage of the creep enclosing the edges of the base to establish her own defensive structures, covered by the mighty siege tanks, reavers and  _ Temeraires _ that had proven to be such a lethal combination on Char. Her Zerg were continually retrieving the fallen enemy Zerg, converting them into biomass for her own use. Several hive clusters were already established within the covering range of the massive guns and the fleet overhead and Sarah was utilising them to attempt to flood the Zerg with their own tactics.

Jim and Tychus, by contrast, were rallying the Terran defences to new levels of deadliness, leading by example to devastate the Zerg as they approached. Three deposits of minerals and vespene had been claimed by the SCVs as they rapidly set up a supply line to ensure the siege tanks' ammunition remained at a reasonable level. The reassuring, if noisy, presence of the tanks bolstered the flagging resolve of the Protoss defenders, reassuring them that the void was not yet upon them. The Protoss warriors that had been holding the line against near impossible odds used the respite to rest and gather their own strength once more as the automated defences took up much of the slack. SCVs established bunkers and missile turrets to continue to secure the perimeter and provide shelter for the war-weary troops. Selendis walked the lines alongside the Executor, who had emerged from the depths of the facility to encourage his own troops and see first-hand the situation that faced him, and us all.

For all the strength and valour that had been on full display, the Zerg were still like a tsunami; an unstoppable force building higher and higher, threatening to break over the defiant walls of the defence. We had to blunt that attack if we were to make any progress here, of any kind.

We had the anvil of the defensive ring to push the Zerg against. Now we just needed a hammer.

I was reluctant to pull the fleet out of their defensive posture, but there was no alternative. We had to stem the flow of Zerg, and that meant going on the attack. The only possible target for  _ that _ were the hive clusters.

The heavily defended and fortified hive clusters, set back from the Zerg lines and surrounded by dense swarms of fliers. Just cutting through that would be...

_ Cutting... _

The vague semblance of a plan began to fall into place. It was difficult and dangerous, there was no doubting that. But it might just work and there was little left to lose in any case.

Turning to the tactical display, I punched in a number of coordinates, highlighting target hive clusters in the surrounding area. They weren't nearly as well armoured as the leviathans, so I didn't think I was going to need the full combined firepower of three or four  _ Stingrays _ . Two would be plenty for the job at hand and even one would likely be enough. That meant eight targets that we could engage easily before the Zerg might be able to react in time.

With over a thousand hive clusters in close proximity, it was one shot in a thousand that we might be able to actually slow the Zerg assault enough to realistically help both our defence and Tassadar's attack, but it was the chance that we had to take.

" _ Stingrays _ , form up on the  _ Liberator _ . We're shifting to attack pattern Lima. Fighters, provide cover fire and keep the Zerg flyers from interfering. Capital ships, saturate the northern flanks with a full bombardment. Ground forces, prepare for a rapid counterattack in that direction. We need to establish a wider defensive perimeter. Jim, I want our nuclear missiles unloaded and ready for launch ASAP. Have our guides dispersed gradually over the battleground. Tassadar, do the same thing."

The acknowledgements poured in as the forces redistributed themselves according to my instructions. The Zerg, somewhat familiar with this tactic by now, launched a desperate attack, trying to punch through to the  _ Stingrays _ . But the sheer massive of fire surrounding our fleet made it impossible for even them to penetrate in time to stop us, for this salvo at least. With the roar of weapons, every single  _ Stingray _ opened up on the vulnerable targets, laying waste to every last one of the Zerg that were sheltering within their so-called impenetrable walls.

Of course, in our moment of victory, fate had to give us a good kick in the guts.

The  _ Liberator  _ rocked suddenly, as something slammed into our starboard shields. From the alarms that suddenly began to blare, I knew this one was bad. It took exactly twelve seconds to get from the tactical room to the cockpit at a full run and both Nova and I slid into the room exactly on time.

"What's going on?" I yelled.

"Scourge slipped past and rammed the starboard outrider. Engines three and four are nearing critical." Ros yelled over the alarms.

"Then shut them down." Nova yelled.

"We can't! We shut them down, we'll fall out of the sky!" Jess reported swiftly.

"Move!" I yelled at the other pilot, who vacated the chair just as I slid in. "Talk to me, people."

"Generators five and six are fluctuating. Shields are holding but they won't take another hit like that. Both starboard engines will reach critical in 96 seconds." Jess reported.

"Controls are holding for now, but she's going to be slower to respond." Ros added.

"The Zerg are coming around for another pass." Nova screamed, pointing ahead.

Swiftly, I considered and discarded tactical scenarios as they occurred. We couldn't keep the engines running without the starboard engines exploding. If they went, we'd be lucky if the  _ Liberator _ would ever fly again. We couldn't shut them down in the atmosphere or we'd fall out of the sky. There was no way we could make it back into space, where the cold vacuum might have dealt with the engines, the strain on the remaining engines and our structural frame was too much, even if we had the time to make it in the first place. Attempting a crash landing back at the main base would wreak havoc on our own defences, and in the worst case the arkship would never leave the ground.

_ The arkship…. _

"Jess, give me maximum safe power. Prepare to cut the starboard engines on my mark." Moving swiftly, I brought my wounded ship around, aiming over the Zerg armies. Nova and Ros looked at me in shock.

"What the hell are you doing?" Nova breathed.

"Making this count." I snarled.

"45 seconds!" Jess called, a degree of desperation in her voice.

"Prepare the boarding lances." I called. Ros's eyes widened as she suddenly understood. Nova, too, seemed to understand the plan as she dived towards another console.

The  _ Liberator's _ boarding lances were a relic left over from a far distant era; when warships on the ancient oceans would physically grapple their opponent before boarding them. Practically all modern ships had long since done away with such methods, relying on drop pods or tractor beams for the style of boarding that most preferred. Even I had all but abandoned the idea, dismissing them as irrelevant as they had the habit of damaging the ships you were trying to take, which wasn't always the best option.

Right now, however, I was very thankful that I'd talked myself out of it, because those humble, simple little tools might just be the only thing that could keep us alive.

The area we were aiming for was riddled with canyons, very high, tight and windy with little room to move, but there were stretches of canyon that were long enough to accommodate the battered ship, if we could get there in time. It was also closer than the main base and there was a lot less risk to everyone else if things went wrong.

It was our best chance, but the odds were still rotten. Last ditch options were often like that.

We descended at speeds that were better suited for an attack dive, but we were rapidly running out of time. I picked a likely candidate that was close to where I wanted to be, bringing us in low and fast, the Zerg still chasing being the reason for the speed. No doubt they wanted to use the opportunity to deal with us, once and for all.

Too bad for them. I was running this fight, not them.

Yanking on the controls, I pulled the  _ Liberator's _ nose skyward, rolling the mighty ship upwards and around in a barrel roll, killing its momentum and letting the Zerg taste our wounded fury as I turned off all of the engines. A few hundred metres above the top of the canyon, we peaked at the top of our arc as Jess reignited the undamaged engines.

I grinned. "You guys have your targets worked out?"

"Try to stop us." Nova grinned.

With the final bit of power we could spare, I guided the limping gunship into the canyon as Nova unleashed the boarding lances, firing deep into the cliff face on each side of us, then deployed their flanges before we fell past. With a screech, the lances began to wind in their trailing chains, trying to arrest our fall before we could hit the ground. One glance, and I could see it wouldn't be enough.

I slapped the intercom switch. "All hands, brace for impact!" At the last minute, I slammed down the switch for the landing gear, hoping the combination of the lances and the gear might absorb enough of the impact to make it comparatively gentle.

Comparatively. After all, we were dropping thousands of tonnes of spaceship from hundreds of metres up, actually gentle was never going to be likely.

The shock of impact threw everyone, no matter how well braced, from their feet. The explosion of noise from the ship complaining about the mistreatment she was suffering was immense. There was a massive flare of light outside the viewport as well, but none of us were exactly in a position to really take much notice of it. Thankfully, before the ship could finish its bouncing, the chains finally took up the slack, suspending the moaning vessel high above the canyon floor. As we struggled up, the ship rocked under our feet.

Like us, however, she was battered and bruised, but alive.

I spent a moment getting my breathing under control before looking around. "Everyone in one piece?" I asked.

Ros nodded barely, holding her shoulder. "Somehow. Well, as crash landings go, that wasn't all that bad."

"Definitely could be worse." Nova grimaced, holding her arm.

I had my own assortment of aches and pains, but I still managed to slap her slightly across the back of the head. "You should know better than to say that." Turning away, I pressed the intercom once more. "Everyone, check yourselves and the ship over, then get back to stations. No telling how long it'll be until we have company."

"It might be longer than you think, Commander." Jess commented, her image flickering.

"How so?"

"You seem to have activated the defensive flares as we impacted by accident. That system is now offline, but-"

"The flash of light as we hit. Everyone will think that was an explosion, won't they?" Nova asked.

"And unless they come in for a close look, it might just hold up to the kind of scrutiny that the Zerg would give us." I finished. "Talk about a lucky break."

"Definitely. Why here, though?" Ros asked. "You seemed to have this spot picked out from the start."

"I did." Pulling up the local map, I gestured towards the screen. "Main base is here." I pointed towards the bottom half of the screen. "It's a fair old hike back there, there's no doubt of that. But, a hell of a lot closer than that..."

Nova spotted it. "The scientific team. That's why you aimed for here."

"It was our best chance to make contact with them, under those circumstances. Not exactly what I had in mind at the start of this, but I'll take it. So, we wait for nightfall, it's only a couple of hours away anyway. Try to patch up ourselves and the ship as best we can. Then, we see if we can find some Protoss without being killed. And we stay off the grid. Last thing we want is for the Zerg to work out we're still alive."

"Well, considering the last couple of ships we've seen crashed, we got away with that one pretty well." Ros said sadly. "Let's just hope our luck holds."


	43. Making the best of it

Three hours after the grounding of the  _ Liberator _ , just as the sun began its final descent, the senior officers of the  _ Liberator _ met in the tactical room. The mood in the room was glum, to say the least. We'd all spent the best part of those three hours battling blazes throughout the starboard side of the ship, covering the ship with whatever forms of camouflage we could find and generally assessing the damage that the Zerg and crash landing had wrought on us. None of what we found in terms of damage had been very hopeful. The only good news was that we were able to hide the ship from overhead view far better than I had expected and we'd somehow managed to avoid any serious injuries.

I sighed, staring at the Chief Engineer. "How bad is it?"

He grimaced. "She'll fly again, sir, but not without a lot of work. And until and unless we can get her into a full shipyard environment, she isn't going to be the same. She'll be limping until then."

I winced. "Structural damage?"

"We got extraordinarily lucky on that one. Despite the impact with the canyon floor and the strain of the shock from the boarding lances, it hasn't actually twisted the main frame of the ship. There's been a lot of more technical damage, a lot of things have been knocked out of alignment or outright smashed to pieces, and even more damaged, but we have the parts and ability to do all of that. If the framework had been twisted, we'd be well and truly stranded in destination f-"

"Yeah, I get the picture." I interrupted. "We obviously don't have the time to fix absolutely everything. How long to get just enough repaired to get us off the ground and back into space?"

The engineer looked helplessly at me. "Sir, we're looking at a minimum of three days just to get the ship airtight again. Then we've got to strip off the wrecked starboard engines, get one of the port-side ones across and fit it in place and hope we can connect everything else up right to get it all functioning."

I shook my head. "How long for just the engines? That's what we really need to get the ship off the ground, right?"

He shook his head. "Maybe a day for that, but if the ship isn't airtight, we'll never make it back into space."

"Worst case scenario, we can all wear space-suits until we can get the ship docked with one of the battlecruisers. The atmospheric barriers should help as well. Still, you're right, I'd prefer to have some solid neosteel between us and the vacuum of space." I sighed. "But we don't always have the luxury of choice. Get the ship back together, make it as quick and dirty as you have to, but I want to be ready to move ASAP. We can't stay here, not if we're going to survive at all."

The engineer looked mutinous, but he understood our position as well as anyone. "Yes sir." He said coldly, turning on his heel and leaving. I slumped, feeling the pressure we were under and knowing full well that I had put us there.

"Well, this is a disaster." I muttered.

Nova gripped my shoulder. "We're still alive, aren't we? And we're close to the Protoss scientists. We just need to be stealthy. It's just another suicide mission."

I snorted. "We should be used to those by now. Doesn't make them any easier to do, though." I glanced at the tactical display. "So, there's little that I think you and I can do ourselves to help with the repairs. I think we need to track down our missing Protoss."

Nova frowned. "You sure that's the best idea right now? It's not like we can extract them yet."

"No, but if the Zerg work out that we're still alive and that the Protoss are here, they'll have double the reason to come here. If that happens, we'll do better if we're working together, which means we need that alliance sooner rather than later. We can move under the cover of darkness and get there hopefully without being detected."

Ros shook her head. "It's still dicey. Just the two of you, through heavily infested territory? That's not going to be an easy run."

"Agreed, but a small team is faster and stealthier than a larger one, and both of us are well trained in doing such missions." Nova pointed out.

I glanced around the room. Not one person looked happy, but no one spoke up with a better idea, either. Ros, however, had a comment.

"Are you sure we shouldn't contact the rest of our forces? They are going to be worried."

"Absolutely not." Nova beat me to the punch. "Sarah will know we're still alive, which means the rest of the command structure will know. If they're smart, they won't come after us right away in order to stop the Zerg from paying more attention to this area. This isn't how our mission was to go, but we're here, in place and with a window of opportunity. We can't waste it and any transmissions or even a mental call might be detected by the Zerg and that will bring them screaming down on our heads."

I shrugged. "Essentially, what she said. It's too risky by far for us to contact them now. We'll have to wait until we have a plan to extract the forces here." I looked at everyone. "Any questions?" I saw nothing but head-shakes. "Then to your stations. Wythes, you have the conn. Let's get this girl back in the sky." I looked at Nova. "Meet me in the launch bay with your gear in 10 minutes."

As everyone left, Ros lingered behind. "Jason, you need to snap out of this funk quickly."

I sighed, unhappy she'd noticed. "I very nearly got us all killed, Ros."

"And you will get us all killed if you don't pull your head out of your arse and get your mind back in the game." Her tone was sharp and attracted my full attention. "You're relying on us to get this ship fixed, as you should. We're relying on you to get the help we came for and the plan we need to get out of this. Sometimes things go bad, it's a matter of luck. Should we have left our station to conduct those attack runs? Who knows? We certainly helped out our boys on the ground, there's no denying that. Sure, we took some battle damage, some of it fairly serious, but it's nothing we can't deal with, given enough time. You got us down into a secure position and in as good a shape as we could have expected to be under the circumstances. No one is dead and any injuries aren't all that serious. All in all, it's a fair trade-off. Now, get back into the mindset you need and on the job, clear?"

I shook my head at the end of her diatribe. I should have known better. "Clear, ma'am. Let's get on with this."

As I entered the launch bay, I mused on how well Ros knew me and how I thought. Even Nova, Jim and Sarah had never forced me out of a mood like that so quickly, but then the pair of us had been working together for nearly a decade. That gave us an understanding of each other that was difficult to match, even with telepathy. I should have known she wouldn't let me wallow in dark thoughts, but I was glad she had given me the kick that I needed. Nova nodded her greetings as I met her, doing a final check of her gear. I nodded back, before suiting up myself.

Ready for battle, the pair of us headed to the ramp. I'd considered, but ultimately decided against using a vehicle to reach the Protoss quicker. While the speed would be useful, it risked exciting the Zerg's ire, and that was one thing we did not need right now. For the same reason, I would have to limit the power use of my suit, which meant no jumps. So we were left with a stealthy approach of several kilometres before trying to sneak through both Zerg and Protoss battle lines, without being shot by either side.

On the plus side, Nova was an exceptionally talented Ghost, particularly after months of training with Sarah, Zeratul, Tassadar and Selendis, arguably some of the greatest psionics of the age and, in the case of Zeratul and Sarah, certainly absolute masters of stealth. While she still lacked Zeratul's experience at moving though shadows without being detected, as well as Sarah's sheer power at disappearing and striking without warning, she was certainly the second stealthiest terran in our force, perhaps even in the sector.

As for me, I lacked both a cloaking device and psionics to hide me. But I'd done a substantial amount of work in special ops throughout my career and I had no small amount of experience in avoiding detection. Using the terrain and shadows to hide my form was practically second nature to me.

On the downside, the Zerg were excellent hunters and incredibly numerous. They might not be swarming us right now, but I had no real doubt that they were around us and it wouldn't take much for them to work out we were there. If any of them realised that we were around, the entire swarm would know and our mission, and our lives, would end rather quickly. On top of that, there was no certainty that the Protoss would hear us out, or even give us a chance to talk.

Even New Fulsom wasn't as tricky as this. But it didn't much matter how difficult the job was. We just had to get it done.

Moving silently, both of us knew we couldn't afford to make any noise or give away our position. Nova managed to dampen our physical and psionic presence from being detected, in her case visibly as well as from other senses, while the night vision equipment and other tech built into my suit meant that I could guide us to the Protoss position better. Of course, there was another reason why I had insisted that the pair of us go over anyone else. No one else could function together so seamlessly and communicate mentally as easily as we did. Even Sarah and Jim probably didn't have as good a connection with their own mental bond as the two of us. The weeks we'd spent trapped on Char had proven that quite extensively and we'd expended considerable time and effort while stranded there to improve our capability together. We'd long since forged the makings of a good team. The battles on Char had created a far improved one. It wasn't like we'd become a single being by any means, but we could both process data from each other, communicate at immense speed and focus on what was required to complete the tasks ahead of us.

With Nova's psionic abilities, we were able to locate and evade the roaming Zerg patrols, slowly slipping past them and easing ever closer to the Protoss fortifications. After a nerve-racking four hours, we finally beheld the Protoss base. The Zerg were certainly aware of its location, but seemed to be unaware of its importance, only launching probing attacks that appeared to only serve the purpose of keeping the Protoss tied up.

" _ So, any idea how to get past this?"  _ I asked Nova.

She pondered before coming up with one.  _ "Wait for the next attack, and help them fight it off without the Zerg detecting us?"  _ She asked.

I frowned.  _ "Dangerous, but certainly a possibility. I think I'd be best in sniper support, taking out any detector units. That would give you the room to engage them at close range." _

" _ It's not ideal, but certainly going to be the best that we can come up with, I think. Evading the Zerg is going to be a lot easier if they can't see us." _

" _ We're both going to have to use weapons that aren't so distinctly recognisable as being linked with us. My M12 would give the game away very quickly." _

" _ So, we mix it up. You use my C20A, I'll stick to my pistol and blades and that way they can't pick us by our weapons. They might suspect something, but that's rather different than actually being certain." _

" _ But they might be interested enough to launch a few more patrols through the canyons and end up finding the  _ Liberator _."  _ I sighed.  _ "I think it's a risk we're going to have to take. We don't have a lot of choice, if we can't get through to the Protoss and convince them to come with us, then this whole trip is for nothing."  _

A rumbling noise signalled we wouldn't have to wait much longer. It seemed the Zerg had tired of the probing attacks and were now attacking in force. It wasn't an overwhelming force, not yet, but this definitely wasn't going to be an easy job. Nova swallowed slightly.

" _ Still think this is the best idea?"  _ She asked hesitatingly.

" _ Unless you have a better one."  _ I replied, not much happier.

Her sigh and charging into the attack was the only reply I got. Setting up on a nearby formation, I began lining up on the hovering overlords and firing as swiftly as I could, knocking them out to allow Nova room to work. The Zerg began to drop, apparently from nothing that anyone else could see. The Protoss were clearly surprised, but also professional enough to take full advantage of the unexpected support.

They knew who we were, of course; the remaining photon cannons on the defensive perimeter saw to that. They would certainly have spotted Nova, even if they hadn't seen me. But they'd been concentrating on the Zerg and so Nova and I were already killing the creatures before the cannons would have been free of their original targets. It granted us a small window when the Protoss wouldn't be immediately focussed on us and, like the Protoss themselves, we took full advantage of it.

The resulting fire-fight was vicious and bloody. The Zerg poured towards the defensive lines and we barely succeeded in holding them back. But hold them back we did. Once the last Zerg fell, the Protoss turned their weapons towards Nova, though they seemed to have missed me thankfully. But Nova was as calm and collected as I had come to expect of her. Quietly holstering her weapons and decloaking, she nodded slightly to the nearest Protoss.

"It looked like you could use a hand." She said with a slight smile, loud enough that I could hear her.

There was no small amount of confusion among the Protoss, but finally a determined-looking Zealot pushed through the group.  _ "What brings your kind here to our world?" _ He demanded.

"Let's just say that this is where we needed to be. My boss wants to talk to yours. Against the Zerg, we both need all the help we can get." Nova replied. 

The Zealot towered over Nova.  _ "And where exactly is this commander of yours?" _ He spat.

I knew a dramatic cue when I heard it. And with no immediate threats in the area, I could take advantage of the relative peace to make an appropriate entrance. With a quick tap of the jets, I boosted out of my sniper's nest and dropped in beside Nova. "You're looking at him." Nova grinned cheekily.

I inclined my head slightly. "En Taro Adun, warrior. I am Commander Jason Davis, leader of the Terran forces supporting Executors Tassadar and Artanis." With a small smile, I held out the C20A to Nova. "I believe this is yours, my lady. Whoever gave that to you had good taste in weapons."

Nova snorted, enjoying the joke. The Protoss looked confused and wary, but not as much as might have been expected.

" _ Judicator Aldaris has had much to say about you, Commander. Very little was good."  _ The Zealot said slowly.

My own expression darkened. "I'm sure he has. But then, I'm less interested in playing politics and respecting those who have not earned that respect than I am in making sure people stay alive. He doesn't appear to share that order of priorities."

The Zealot's eyes narrowed, before he glanced around.  _ "Perhaps we had better get under cover. The Zerg will be back soon enough, and in greater numbers. You are not here without reason, I am sure." _ With a gesture, he waved for us to follow him inside. With a glance, the two of us followed him deeper, even as more Protoss swarmed out to reinforce the defences behind us.

The passageway that the Zealot led us down was deep and heavily encased. It was obvious that we were deep underground, in a position that most would find near impossible to assault. However, I knew well how easily the Zerg could move through underground tunnels and so just how dangerous this position actually was. From the manner of many of the Protoss in the tunnels that we passed, they were just as aware of their precarious state. If the Zerg succeeded in breaking through, it would become a bloodbath.

Finally, we strode into an open area, clearly re-purposed as a command centre. Many Protoss were scattered around the area, but the Zealot led us towards two of them arguing in front of a console.

" _ Praetor, we cannot remain here. Our people are counting on us!" _ A female Protoss, clearly not a fighter, was pleading with an armoured Protoss commander, bearing markings I had long since recognised from the other Protoss I had met.

The Protoss warrior replied with a tone signifying his decreasing patience.  _ "My lady, we cannot risk moving you and your team. With the Zerg so close, departing would be fatal to you." _

" _ My father is counting on us reaching his position; our people will die if we fail our mission!"  _

" _ Our people will die if you get yourself killed! Trying to reach the main base with the Zerg in our path would be the height of folly. We must wait for reinforcements to reach our position." _

" _ You would put your faith in reinforcements from a base that is heavily besieged? Look around you! There is nowhere on Aiur that is not already heavily pressed. We cannot afford to wait for relief!" _

"Perhaps I might be able to help with your issues." I elected to interject. Both arguing Protoss spun around to face us. The Praetor snorted.

" _ And what would a pair of mere Terrans be able to achieve that an entire war-host of Protoss could not?" _ He said dismissively.  _ "You know nothing of what we are trying to achieve." _

Nova snarled. "Want to bet? You're trying to get a team to the nearby base so that you can activate the Protoss arkship buried beneath it in order to evacuate your people, but you've been pinned down here and can't get through."

Stunned silence filled the chamber as every Protoss stared at us. I raised an eyebrow. "Judging by that reaction, I'd say that's a pretty good guess. Given that we just came from the base, though, that was always a safe bet." I faced the female of the pair in front of us. "I take it that you lead the team here."

She straightened, but the other spoke faster.  _ "What could you know of our mission? Have you been-" _

At that point, my patience had finally run out. Reaching out, I closed my hand around his throat and lifted him clear of the ground, my ABS compensating for the difference in build between myself and the Protoss. Pulling him close, I growled, "Right now, I am about your only chance of walking out of this hell-hole alive. Don't. Irritate. Me." With a shove, I threw him back a few steps, forcing him to stumble, although he didn't actually lose his footing. I shook my head. "Do not re-enter this conversation unless you are invited to."

Turning back to the surprised scientist, I adopted a far softer tone. "Now, as I was saying, I believe you lead the team here."

She swallowed and nodded.  _ "I am Researcher Lasarra. I am assuming that you are the Terran commander that has attracted so much attention in recent times." _

"You would be correct. Commander Jason Davis, at your service." My eyes narrowed as part of their earlier conversation sank in. "Did I hear you say that your father commanded the defence of the arkship base?"

" _ You did. Does he still live?" _

I nodded. "Last time I saw him, he did. Things make a lot more sense now." I pulled out the crystal he had given me, holding it out to Lasarra. "He said to give this to you."

Her eyes widened as she took the crystal. She was silent for a moment, before her eyes hardened and locked back onto mine.  _ "Do you have a plan, Commander?" _

"Of sorts. Unfortunately, my ship was forced down and has taken serious damage some kilometres from here. My crew are conducting repairs as quickly as possible, but even so, we don't have the room to extract all of you."

" _ You may not need to." _ Another Protoss interrupted, approaching us. He was also clearly no warrior, but certainly seemed to be a technician of some kind.  _ "If the arkship can be made operational, then we can warp all Protoss in the area aboard. The systems on the ship are far superior to those on most Protoss ships and have the capacity to conduct warp operations at a far higher rate." _

Lasarra glanced towards the newcomer.  _ "The Phase-Smith is correct. If the arkship can be restored, then extraction will not be an issue. But the issue is getting to the arkship." _

"Leave that to us. But if you can get to the ship, can you restore it?" Nova asked.

" _ It will not be easy, but yes. It will, however, take time. Time that may be difficult to find."  _ Lasarra replied.

"Do you have to be there to do it yourself, or can those at the base do part of it under your direction?" I asked swiftly. The two Protoss exchanged glances.

" _ The power generators could be activated ahead of our arrival."  _ The Phase-smith said thoughtfully.  _ "But we would need to be able to contact the base in order to provide them with the information to do so, and our communications systems have long since been taken off-line. The antenna is in place, but the Zerg have cut the power to it and we cannot spare anyone to repair it." _

Nova and I exchanged glances, both of us knowing she couldn't communicate such information precisely to Sarah or the other psionics, and certainly not without giving away their position to the Zerg. "If you can get me a repair team, we'll make sure they get them back up and running."

The Praetor finally managed to regain his feet and inserted his unwelcome addition into the conversation.  _ "Such a mission is foolhardy. I will not authorise any of my men to take part in such a hopeless attempt." _

Quietly, I unholstered my M12, smiling grimly. "I don't recall asking for your opinion. Nor am I asking for your support. In fact, I'm not in need of anything from you at all." I let the weapon swing from my hand. "Though I am rather curious as to why you are so keen to stay here." My eyes narrowed. "An interesting problem to solve, one I'll have to spend some time on." I didn't fail to notice the sudden cessation of any movement in the surrounding area. Glancing towards Lasarra, I asked her, "How soon can your team be ready to move?"

She looked towards the Phase-Smith.  _ "Take command in my absence."  _ Receiving a nod, she turned back to me. _ "I will need five minutes to collect my equipment. After that, I will be ready to accompany you." _

This clearly upset the Praetor and I had to admit I was surprised as well.  _ "You cannot seriously consider conducting this insane operation in person! I will not allow it!" _

I was about to express my disgust for the Praetor, when Lasarra got there first.  _ "You do not command me, Praetor. I have waited for you to formulate a plan to save our people and you have ignored your duty to them. I must now do so in your stead. When 'mere Terrans' are more willing to aid us than our own kind, then we must consider what is truly best for our brethren. This is a risk, certainly, but you would have us die without a fight and I cannot do that. These may well be the final days of our homeworld, but they do not have to be the final days of our people, and I will accept whatever aid I can find to prevent our extinction. If that is not your goal, then step aside and let those that think differently fight for us. But you will not stand in our way." _

Nova and I exchanged an impressed glance.  _ "She's definitely a firecracker. And that's an attitude that I can get behind. If more people thought that way, then we wouldn't have the issues we do now." _

" _ Agreed. That guy needed to be cut down to size and it's better coming from her than us." _ A grin crossed my face.  _ "It's people like that that make this war worthwhile." _

Lasarra, clearly attempting to control her anger, turned to us.  _ "I will be with you shortly. Meet me at the main entrance."  _ Without further ado, she left, heading deeper into the base. I glanced back at the Zealot that had ushered us inside.

"Mind giving us an escort back to the main entrance?"

The Zealot looked visibly shocked by what he had just witnessed, but nodded and gestured for us to follow him. Without another word, we left the command centre and made our way back through the tunnels. Once we reached the entrance, the Zealot bowed slightly to us, before taking up a post nearby, clearly keen to get back to work.

Lasarra was as good as her word, arriving shortly afterwards, now clad in armour of her own and carrying a small Protoss pistol and a pair of psi-blades, along with a collection of technical equipment.  _ "I hope you do not expect me to fight to your standards, Commander. While I have had some training, I am certainly not a seasoned warrior." _

Nova smiled slightly. "That's what we're here for, ma'am." That was a deliberate ploy, showing Lasarra the respect that she deserved as the leader of this Protoss force, in front of the surrounding Protoss, who doubtless had heard about the argument inside by now. In our view, regardless of her combat qualifications, she had earned that position on the strength of her devotion to her people alone. Lasarra clearly understood the move, inclining her head with respect of her own.

" _ Then we should make a move." _ Without another word, Lasarra led us up to a small ravine running up the cliff face.  _ "The antenna is at the top of the canyon, but we only need to locate and track the power feed from above our own ridge. We have already confirmed that the issue lies out in the open, we simply have to locate where the break happened. I can replace the entire cable between the relevant regulators, even all the way to the antenna if necessary, but replacing that much cable will take time. More time than we are likely to have." _

"Lasarra, you just find the issue. We'll make sure we all live long enough to pull it off." I smiled.

The Protoss scientist straightened and looked at me.  _ "Of that, Commander, I have no doubt."  _ She leapt up and forward, grabbing a hand-hold and beginning to climb.

I glanced at Nova. "Need a boost?" Her grin was answer enough as she backed up from the cliff face, before taking a running jump at me. With her momentum, my added strength and her psionics, I was able to propel her most of the way up the first cliff face and she swiftly scrambled up the remaining distance, ready to cover our climb. I wasted little time following Lasarra's lead, hauling myself up the cliff as the rearguard. Nova and Lasarra waited just long enough for me to haul myself up, before continuing up through the next stage.

We followed the same order for the remainder of the climbs, somehow avoiding any Zerg along the way. It took close to an hour to make the ascent, by which time dawn was breaking on the horizon. The Zerg would soon be back in force, and we had to make sure we stayed alive long enough to pull this off. By my reckoning, repairs to make the  _ Liberator _ capable of lift-off should be well underway, but we were still a long way from escaping this yet.

" _ We should be at the cable short-"  _ Lasarra cut herself off as we saw exactly what had happened to the power cable. Namely, the group of Zerg that were currently using it as a chew toy and had spotted us. With feral snarls, they turned to face us, stalking us.

"Close quarters. Let's keep the noise as low as we can, for what little good that will do. Use the cliffs and the falls to our advantage and don't lose your footing." I ordered, preparing for combat. "We'll handle the majority of them, Lasarra, but expect at least some to get past us."

The only reaction of the two women was to ready their own weapons.

Thirty Zerg against two Terrans and a Protoss. This was going to be interesting.

With a roar, the Zerg leapt to the attack, only for a sudden blast from above to throw them off the cliff. I pulled up suddenly, completely taken by surprise by the unexpected attack. A shape landed in a crouch in front of us, a figure that I recognised instantly.

"Sarah." I breathed.

Sarah's glare could have cut metal. "You are a ridiculously stubborn sonofabitch, you know that? And I thought I was impatient. At least Nova has more sense than to try and do everything herself."

I turned a glare of my own on Nova, remembering her comm. "Thanks." I snarked.

"No worries." She grinned back, before turning her attention back to Sarah. "You avoided detection, I hope."

She snorted. "Please. Give me a hard one." Sarah stepped right up to me and grabbed me in a tight hug. "Don't you ever scare me like that again. I can't lose you too."

I hugged me back, appreciating the presence of one of my closest friends. "You know I don't go down that easy." I released her and held her at arm's length. "Does the base still stand?"

"For now, yes. But the Zerg are pushing harder and there's only so much we can do to support them. Jim's holding the line well, though. But we'd better not hang around."

I nodded, before I suddenly remembered Lasarra. I turned to face her, only to stare at an absolutely shocked Protoss, barely able to stand. Finally, she managed to speak.

" _ How? What? Who?" _

Ok, she wasn't exactly coherent just yet. I stepped over to her, but made sure to stay just out of reach. "Yeah. Lasarra, meet Sarah Kerrigan, one of my top commanders."

Lasarra looked stunned.  _ "You are working with Zerg!?" _

I sighed. "Let's just say that the Zerg have their own factions, same as the rest of us. It's a long story and we don't have time for the whole of it right now."

" _ But, she,"  _ Lasarra stammered.

Sarah sighed. "Yes, I'm infested and therefore not trustworthy. I know that, everyone knows that. Thank you so much for reminding me and making me feel better about it."

With a visible effort, Lasarra pulled herself together.  _ "You misunderstand me, Sarah Kerrigan. While I will admit that your… appearance can be unnerving, especially when unexpected, you cleared the Zerg away from our goal with little effort and you have the trust of Commander Davis. I am certainly prepared to work with you, but everything I have heard about the Zerg says they are mindless monsters that seek nothing but our destruction. You are a rather large argument against that logic, which throws almost every theory we have about the Zerg straight into the Void. I was always taught that a thousand pieces of evidence cannot prove a theory right, but one piece can prove a theory wrong. However, until now, I have never seen it so bluntly illustrated as you have." _

Sarah was speechless. Mind you, to be fair, so were Nova and I. Lasarra's statement had, to borrow her own line, thrown almost everything we had expected about the Protoss right out of the window. The way she had reacted to Sarah's new appearance was by far the best we'd seen from any of the Protoss, including Tassadar, Zeratul and Selendis. Despite her initial shock, she had rapidly overcome it and was now clearly in the middle of some serious contemplations, muttering to herself. Finally, I interrupted the Protoss's musings.

"I know this is a big shock, frankly to everyone, but can we get back to the immediate issue, please?" I asked Lasarra. "Like, what do we need to do to repair this power cable?"

With an obvious effort, Lasarra shook herself free of her thoughts.  _ "I have enough replacement cable to repair it, but we will have to seal and bury it so that the Zerg can't destroy it again." _

"And the Zerg will know we're here by now." Nova pointed out.

As if to punctuate her point, Zerg roars echoed around us. I nodded to myself, a plan coming together. "Sarah, Nova, you'll have to hold the Zerg back. I'll help Lasarra get this done."

"You're not exactly familiar with Protoss tech, Jason." Nova objected.

"No, but I'm probably the most technically minded of us and you two are the better fighters by far." I replied as I crouched beside Lasarra.

The screeches of the Zerg put an end to the conversation and the two women turned away to engage the Zerg. Lasarra looked at me.  _ "You have to get the other end of the cable up to the next regulator. It will be quicker than trying to cut and repair the cable twice." _ She handed me one end of it.  _ "It already has the correct fitting, you just need to detach the existing one and replace it." _

I glanced up at the regulator above us. "Consider it done." Securing the end of the cable to my armour, I took off for the nearby cliff-face, evading, ignoring or, in one case, running straight over the Zerg in my path. In any other case, I might have used the jets, but the cable de-spooler was unlikely to be able to handle that kind of load. Leaping for the cliff, I wasted no time in scrambling for the next handhold, climbing for the regulator swiftly. Thankfully, it was a small cliff and I reached the regulator without incident.

"OK, I'm here." I reported to Lasarra.

" _ Good. There should be a small access panel on the side. Lift it and tell me what lights you can see." _

Opening the panel, I was greeted with a perplexing mix of blue and green lights. "A massive array of lights, all of them either blue or green." I called back.

" _ Good, that is how they are supposed to be. You should be able to see the cable running in and a small lever beside it. Pull the lever down. That will release the cable currently in place." _

Moving swiftly, I followed her instructions, yanking down the lever, pulling out the damaged existing cable and replacing the connection with the new, intact one. A variety of lights turned from blue to green around a particular control.

" _ Connection is reading as solid on both ends. You need to turn the control that changed colour to the right. That will seal the connection and warp the cable into the ground below. It will take a few minutes, so you'll have to defend the regulator until it can complete the task." _

The growls from behind me told me that it wasn't going to be a simple babysitting task. Straightening, I turned to face the Zerg, drawing my shotgun.

"So, you bastards want to dance? Then let's dance!" I growled back.

With feral roars, the Zerg leapt to the attack, only to meet the rounds from my shotgun. The relatively narrow confines of the space and the small numbers of the Zerg meant that I had reasonable odds at holding this force back. The fact that only Zerglings were able to make the climb up helped as well. The occasional beep from behind me indicated that that the regulator was still online and the Zerg were so focused on both it and I that they didn't bother going after the cable, perhaps because they now knew we could replace it very easily.

Regardless, as I cleared the last of the Zerg off the alcove, the regulator beeped rapidly, before warping into the ground, along with the cable, sealing it away from the reach of the Zerg. I had no doubt that they would eventually be able to reach and damage it again in time, but we at least had a window to establish communications with the main base.

"Lasarra, I think we're done here." I called."

" _ I agree. All systems are reading nominal. We need to get back to the outpost." _

Looking down at the melee beneath me, I switched to the M12 and provided cover fire to the three psionics fighting below. "Got you covered, get out of here. I'll see you at the entrance. Nova, get Lasarra back into the outpost and make sure she makes contact with the main base. We need to get this done fast or we're all out of it. Sarah, it might be best if you head for the  _ Liberator _ , we don't want to cause more issues with our new friends than absolutely necessary. Once you get there, make contact with Nova, I need to know what the status of the repairs is."

"Got it. No more heroics, all right?" Nova replied.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Just get going." I growled, firing as quickly as I could. Watching, I saw all three women leap off the cliff, racing for their respective destinations. A sudden screech from above drew my attention. I glanced up quickly, then dived off my sniper's perch as Mutalisks rained fire down on my old position.

One thing was abundantly clear. The Zerg definitely knew I was still alive, which meant they'd work out the  _ Liberator _ had survived in very short order.  _ That _ meant they'd be throwing everything into finding and destroying it.

We were officially out of time.

Wasting no more time, I deployed the wings and soared down towards the Protoss outpost, firing at the Zerg to clear a path. Punching out and through, I landed alongside the defences, nearly deafened by the heavy fire as they duelled with the Zerg. The defenders were being pressed hard, Zerg pounding against the ground on every approach. Suddenly, my comm lit up.

"Jason, Sarah's reached the  _ Liberator, _ but she was dodging Zerg the whole way. I don't think we can rely on sneaking through back to her." Nova's voice confirmed what I feared.

I replied even as I added my own fire to the defence. "What about the  _ Liberator?  _ Is she able to fly?"

"Engineer gives it another hour, at least. They're doing all they can but some things can't be bypassed. But with Sarah there, the Zerg are likely to find them sooner than that."

I cursed, knowing the issues in sending Sarah there. Nova would have had a better chance of concealing herself from the Zerg, due to her lack of connection to the Swarm but the Protoss would not have been happy to see Sarah. Damned by either option but there wasn't time to deal with it now.

"What about the main base? Did Lasarra manage to get through to them?"

"Thankfully, yes. She's talked them through what she can, but we need to get her team there soon to finish the job."

"Her team, or can she do it alone?"

Nova paused for a minute as the attack finally tapered off for a few minutes. "She really needs her team to finish the job. It's too big for one person."

My mood darkened. I might have just been able to punch through the Zerg assault and get Lasarra to the  _ Liberator _ on my own, but there was no way I could do it multiple times for her team. Having the Protoss warp them aboard was out as well, the thick rock protecting the Protoss would block their efforts, although my understanding was that the arkship's own systems were sufficiently powerful to overcome that limitation. Trying to get a shuttle through would be suicide right now, the Zerg assault was too intensive. Even the  _ Liberator _ at her best would struggle to hold them back long enough. What we needed was enough power to break through the blockade but that would take the power of a god right now.

I blinked. Power of a god...

"Nova, have Sarah get to a comm, now."

She didn't waste any time. "What do you need, Jason?" Sarah's voice came across the line quickly.

"I need a hole in the Zerg attack to get a science team through and to control the skies to get them clear. There's an awful lot of Zerg flyers and Overlords here. You think you can play tug of war with them?"

Sarah was no fool. "You want me to pull the flyers down so they crash on their own ground forces? That's not going to be easy."

"I'm fresh out of easy, just like normal. We need insane to survive this mess and this is the craziest best idea I've got. You have an alternative, I'm all ears."

Sarah's curses told me she didn't have a better idea. "You realise I'm going to be vulnerable while I'm doing this, right?"

"I know. Just get back here, I'll make sure you've got the cover you need." I sighed. "Nova, you get all that?"

"I did. You realise how difficult that's going to be, right? Especially with the Praetor still suffering from cranial-rectal syndrome?"

"If he doesn't listen to Lasarra, tell him I'll come down there, drag him back up and let the Zerg relieve his symptoms. We've got enough issues without having to deal with his issues as well and, after the day I'm having, I am officially out of patience with his antics. If he wants to behave like a kid with his head in the sand, I'll treat him like one."

Nova chuckled. "Understood."

I looked around the beleaguered defenders and ducked into cover beside the Zealot I had met originally, who was smart enough to keep his head down and let the automated defences handle the Zerg unless they got within close range.

"Well, I've got good news for you but you have to hear me out." I informed him.

He glanced at me.  _ "And why would good news require that I hear you out?" _

"Because I've got support coming in, but she's an infested Terran psionic who has retained her mind and I'd really rather no-one tried to kill her, because she's a very good friend of mine."

That earned me a stunned, disbelieving glare.  _ "That is utterly impossible. Zerg are monsters." _

"Just as us Terran are primitives that aren't worthy to stand with Protoss warriors?" I shot back. "Just because you believe it or are told that doesn't make it true. I won't deny that the Zerg are vicious and dangerous, but they have their factions, just like the rest of us, and there's a lot more going on than what appears on the surface."

The look he gave me was full of scepticism and the expressions of his comrades weren't any improvement. No one liked the idea of working with someone who was infested and I didn't have time to argue the point.

"Look, I know I'm not your commander and I have no right to give you orders. So I'm just going to make myself clear. Sarah is so close to me, she's practically family. Anyone who attacks her will answer to me. Coming here to bail you out wasn't exactly my idea of a good time and I don't have to stay here. You're not escaping this mess without our help and she is the help we need to turn the tide enough for us to pull this stunt off. Anybody have a problem with that?"

My face may as well have been carved from stone by the end of my little speech and as Nova de-cloaked beside me, it was clear that she wasn't looking any happier.

The Zealot nodded.  _ "There will not be a problem, Commander." _ His tone made it abundantly clear to everyone in the vicinity that there had better  _ not _ be a problem. Clearly, he'd worked out the situation as well and had no desire to make life harder than it needed to be, particularly with the alternative being that life would end up  _ shorter _ than expected.

Lasarra emerged from the entrance herself as we finished.  _ "You are calling Sarah Kerrigan back to assist us?" _ She asked.

"I think it's our best option. I have something of a plan in mind, but we still need to buy some time."

" _ And what plan is this?"  _ The Zealot demanded.

I looked at Lasarra. "I've heard a lot of hearsay, but I need to know for sure. The arkship... can it warp your people out from inside the mountain?"

She nodded.  _ "Yes, the technology on-board is more advanced than we typically use. It will penetrate the mountain with ease." _

"Then we stick with a small team extraction."

"Jason," Nova pointed out, "The odds of sneaking a small team back through the Zerg are nil."

"I know. So, if we can't get to the  _ Liberator _ , she's going to have to come to us."

Nova's eyes widened. "Jason, the  _ Liberator _ isn't going to be battle-ready. Bringing her in is dangerous to put it mildly."

"Which is why we need Sarah to clear us a path. If the  _ Liberator  _ sticks to the canyons, she'll be fairly well covered until she gets here. Once she's here, we get everyone we can on board and punch it back to the main base. Our boys will still be around, so we should be able to make it."

" _ And everyone else here?"  _ The Zealot wanted to know.  _ "I imagine there will not be enough room to evacuate everyone." _

I winced. "No, which is why we need to blow the entrance before we leave."

Everyone was shocked.  _ "Commander, that would trap the rest of our forces inside. There is no certainty that we will be able to restore the arkship fast enough to evacuate them from inside."  _ Lasarra objected.

"I know. But when the defences here fall, and they will fall eventually, there is no fall-back position for your people. The Zerg will pour down that tunnel and kill everyone and you don't have the forces to prevent that. We're trading access for time, but there isn't a better way that I can see. The alternative is trading lives and we don't have any to spare." I looked at her. "The mathematics of defeat. Sometimes there isn't a victory to be won, all you can do is make your defeat as cheap as possible for yourself and as expensive as you can for your enemy. I've said it before and I'll say it again; if anyone has any better ideas, I'm all ears."

The silence of those around me spoke for itself. The only interruption was the sound of Sarah leaping over the defences and joining us. To my surprise, none of the Protoss made a move on her. I turned to her.

"Sorry for the run-around, Sarah. Basic plan is this; we hold firm until the  _ Liberator _ is set to fly, then I need you to clear a path for her and keep the skies clear long enough for Lasarra's team and topside defenders to be evacuated, we blow the access tunnel, get back to the main base and get the arkship online so we can get everyone else off this rock." I stared at the other people around me. "Any questions?"

The Protoss looked at each other, but no one commented. Not a single one of them was happy, that was obvious. But then, I wasn't particularly content with this situation either. However, I couldn't for the life of me see an alternative that wouldn't cost a lot more lives and have an even slimmer chance of success. When no response was forthcoming, I turned to Lasarra. "Do you have any charges that could collapse the entrance, or do we need to use the  _ Liberator? _ "

She nodded slightly.  _ "We have some. How much time do we have?" _

I glanced at Sarah. "How long did the engineers give you before they were ready to fly?"

"Roughly an hour, but that was when I left fifteen minutes ago."

I nodded. "In that case, I wouldn't count on longer than 30 minutes, by the time you get them set and your team up here ready for extraction." I told Lasarra.

" _ That will be long enough. I certainly have no doubts that you and my brethren can hold the line long enough for us to achieve our tasks." _

"On that, Researcher, you may rely." Nova replied.

As Lasarra and her team turned back to the entrance, the rest of us walked outwards, in the direction of the Zerg that were beginning to mass once more. I grinned coldly. "Ladies, what do you say we show the Protoss how we Terrans fight?"

The matching grins on the faces of both women almost sent chills down my spine. I  _ know _ the resulting carnage terrified the Protoss and likely the Zerg as well. I don't think that they'd seen fighters as lethal as the two Ghosts. Given that the average Protoss had a life-expectancy of several hundred years at the least, that said a  _ lot _ .

Sarah was conserving much of her psionic strength for the stunts she needed to be able to do later so that the  _ Liberator _ might approach safely, so she was primarily relying on close-quarters physical combat with the Zerg. Such an approach wasn't slowing her down much, however. While she was faster than the average Terran, her speed was primarily a holdover from her days as a Ghost. What had been dramatically improved as a result of her infestation was her strength and durability; she hit like a tank, yet could take a blast from one and come back for seconds. Combined with her martial skill, she was an absolute demon. Even keeping to where she was covered by the Protoss defences, she racked up an impressive kill count. Points for style as well: I'd seen her wield a defiler as a melee weapon before and throw hydralisks around, but there was something truly impressive about ripping off the kaiser blade from an ultralisk and beating the damned beast to death with it.

If the Zerg looked for an easier target, they certainly didn't find it in Nova. Unlike Sarah, she didn't have to conserve her energy beyond what was normal for a battle and was taking full advantage, unleashing her powers on the Zerg with devastating effect. Wielding them in tandem with her rifle, the Zerg might as well have been bashing their heads against a neosteel wall for all the good they were doing at getting past her. While she wasn't fighting in close combat like Sarah, her more ranged tactics were proving just as effective in thinning the Zerg numbers.

As for the rest of us, we weren't exactly sitting back and enjoying the show. While I wouldn't have counted the Protoss defenders as being in the same class as Nova and Sarah, they weren't slacking off either, using their own skill and experience to great effect against the invaders. Psi-blades, psionic blasts and phase disruptors were utilised against the Zerg with lethal results. Though the Zerg always pressed hard, they never succeeded in breaking the Protoss lines.

I might personally have had the least technically advanced weapons on the field, and I'd previously received various derisive opinions on them from various Protoss, but that didn't change their effectiveness. Hot lead and cold steel were the dishes of the day I was serving up to the Zerg, but they didn't seem to appreciate those much. In fact, many of them seemed to develop rapid onset cases of fatal metal poisoning. While I wasn't as popular a target as the two women, one simple fact remained. Every single Zerg that charged into my kill zone did not leave it alive.

The Zerg's charge remained blunted by our furious defence and though they pushed against us hard, we never wavered. That was not to say, however, that we remained unscathed from their rage. Each of the Protoss had lost their shields and taken injury on at least one occasion, despite the best efforts of the shield batteries supporting their defence. Two misread the assault path of a particularly determined ultralisk, one being crushed underneath its feet while the other was bisected by its blades before Sarah and Nova could beat it off. Another, risking emerging from cover to gain added glory, was brutally perforated by a salvo of hydralisk spines, turning his body into mincemeat. Others fell too, either to the sheer numbers of the Zerg, or simply to exhaustion. Those that were still fast enough retreated behind our lines to rest and recover. Not all of them were quick enough.

Even Sarah, Nova and I didn't remain untouched. Sarah had been hit hardest, due to her forward fighting position. Several spines scattered her arms and torso from where she hadn't been able to evade them in time. While her Zerg physiology meant that she healed even faster than the average Zerg could, there was no doubt that the battle had taken its toll on her, as she began to pull closer back to the static defences, risking herself less. Nova had been more fortunate, barely diverting a brace of spines that would have impaled her, but the distraction cost her as a nearby Zergling managed to pounce on her, trying desperately to bite her shoulder before she was able to throw it off. Though she escaped the bite, and the potential infestation that might have followed if the virus had managed to make its way into her system, the resulting slashes were undoubtedly painful and she favoured her right arm after that incident. As for me, I had been somewhat luckier, partially because I wasn’t being targeted as often, but mostly because of the ABS's capabilities. Even so, at one point I hadn't been quite fast enough to completely dodge a hydralisk's scythe, taking a cut over my forehead that bled lightly, obstructing my vision on occasion. I could also feel the pounding from the multiple Zerg that had decided to audition for roles as battering rams and elected me as the door they would attempt to knock down. Thankfully, the improved armour that made up the ABS held up against their impacts rather better than standard CMC armour plate, and while I was certainly bruised and battered, I wasn't pierced by any of their attacks.

Relief came from a somewhat unexpected direction, as Lasarra and her team emerged from the tunnel entrance and entered the fight themselves. While they were not proficient as fighters to the same degree as the warriors standing with us, it was obvious they had undergone some training and they were able to help throw the Zerg back enough that the rest of us could catch our breath a little and deal with what wounds we could.

Just as well too; of the warriors that had joined battle originally, no more than half were still able to fight and a quarter of that number lay dead.

Wiping the blood out of my face once more, I stumbled over to Lasarra. "Timely, Researcher Lasarra. Timely."

She nodded slightly, looking at the devastation around us. Her expression was mournful, and seeing so many of her people wounded or as corpses around us, I could not blame her. I glanced at my chrono and saw the first bit of good news I'd seen in some time.

We'd managed to hold the Zerg back for the hour we'd expected. All we needed now was to know if the  _ Liberator  _ was on her way and we'd be home free. Lasarra and her team might have been later than I'd hoped, but they'd got here at almost exactly the right time, in terms of the battle.

Thankfully, we didn't remain in suspense for much longer. A ping announced itself on my comm and a familiar voice made herself known.

"Commander? Still alive?"

I sighed heavily, feeling relief take much of the load from my shoulders. "Ros, you don't know how good it is to hear your voice."

She chuckled. "Back at you, sir. Engines are powered up and we're ready to move. Tell me you're ready for us."

I looked around at the assembled group and the sudden uplifting of spirits that they all seemed to have on realising the situation. A grin crossed my face as I replied. "More than ready, Ros. Get that bucket of bolts here on the double."

"Yes sir!" Came the enthusiastic response. As the line cut off, I turned to Sarah.

" _ Liberator's _ on her way. You still have enough left in the tank to clear the road?"

"Count on it," She snarled, turning her attention to the skies and finally unleashing her psionics. The results were as incredible as they were destructive.

The Zerg still massing around the base were stunned as overlords, mutalisks and - perhaps most destructive and, to my mind, most ironic - scourge were pulled from the sky with crippling effect. Suddenly, the ground troops were too busy trying to evade the aerial bombardment for them to concentrate their attention on us, so the entrenched defences had no trouble keeping the few who continued the attack at bay. I knew that we could not miss this opportunity.

"Get the wounded together and ready to move. Anything you can carry, grab it now. Alert the base, tell them to get clear of that passage, right now! Rescue's coming, everyone, and we don't want to miss it."

With renewed vigour, everyone moved swiftly to execute their roles as Nova and I stood beside Sarah, the strain visible on her face as she continued her single-handed assault on the Zerg ahead. The next few minutes meant everything.

Thankfully, they proved to be in our favour. With the Zerg still scrambling to deal with the unexpected counter-attack, Nova and I had very little to do other than take the occasional shot at the creatures that looked like they could slip past the defences. With sudden violence, the ground in front of us erupted in fire, flash-cooking any Zerg still there. To my astonishment, despite the distraction, Sarah continued her own efforts against the Zerg and as the smoke cleared, I beheld a sight that lifted my heart skyward.

The  _ Liberator. _

She had certainly seen better days, that was evident. Parts of her hull were blackened and warped, holes present where solid neo-steel should exist. Smoke billowed from behind her and the gaps where engines and other components should have been were obvious. She was a wounded beast, there was no denying that, and her performance suffered appropriately. But that made her more dangerous, not less. Every member of her crew had now tasted the bitter tang of defeat personally and with their assailant in their sights, they did not hesitate.

Some say that revenge is best served cold. While I agreed to a point with that, I personally found that revenge is certainly perfectly acceptable served piping hot, and the heat haze drifting from the main battery and other turrets of the mighty ship told me that everyone on board agreed with that viewpoint.

As she drifted down, her access points opened and the Protoss ground forces, escorting Lasarra's vital science team, made their way on board, clambering over battle debris both on the ground and the ship's decks. Sarah, Nova and I were the last ones on board, swiftly heading for the cockpit as the doors sealed behind us. I glanced at Ros and gave an order that at one point, I wasn't sure I would ever be able to give.

"Get us back to the base."

While the whine of the engines as Ros followed my command was different to what I was used to, enough of their original noise remained to comfort me as we escaped that particular death trap and clawed for the sky to return to the far larger battlefield that Aiur had now become.


	44. Rising through the Ashes

As the  _ Liberator _ struggled for elevation over the battlefield, I took a moment to look over the cockpit controls and read-outs. Far more indicators were in the red than I would have liked, and the battlefield itself was still crawling with the Zerg. Few of those seemed to be taking an interest in us right now, though that would doubtlessly change. The sheer numbers of Zerg swarming the defences of the beleaguered base was enough to daunt anyone attempting to breach their lines. However, in and out of the massive cloud of enemies, nimble interceptors, scouts and wraiths weaved through sowing havoc, supported by the larger battlecruisers and carriers from above and masses of anti-air fire from below. The lack of any of the  _ Stingrays _ concerned me, until Nova gestured towards the rear screens, revealing them sweeping through the Zerg behind us and forming up as an escort. Clearly, Jim had switched from ground-based to sub-orbital in my absence, as his voice was projected from the lead ship.

“If we survive this mess, Jason, I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!” He roared over the channel.

As the  _ Liberator _ came up to her best limping speed, the other  _ Stingrays _ fired, clearing a path through the Zerg. Ros, not missing the opportunity, guided the  _ Liberator _ carefully through the new gap and into the relative safety of the base, before sliding to a halt above a clear area and, with extraordinary care, landed the battered ship inside the perimeter. As the  _ Liberator _ powered down, the other  _ Stingrays _ landed around her, looking almost protective of their wounded sister.

I breathed a sigh of relief, glad to have escaped the hellhole we had pushed ourselves into. But we were all still too painfully aware that safety was not to be found even here. Not yet. Glancing at Lasarra and her small team as I left the cockpit, I beckoned them towards the exit ramp.

“Come on. We still have a job to do.” 

  
  


As the ramp descended and we trooped out of the battered ship, Jim, newly exited from his own ship, stormed towards me. Nova sighed as she stood beside me.

_ “You know you’re going to deserve what he does to you, right?” _

I grimaced.  _ “Yeah, I know.” _

Jim didn’t waste any time with words. He simply smashed his fist straight into the side of my face. I could hear shouts of surprise and shock from the Protoss team behind me, but very little from anyone else as I staggered back under the force of the blow, suddenly having a lot more sympathy for Tassadar than I had had in a while. Being struck by an armoured neosteel fist, accelerated by CMC armour,  _ hurt _ , despite my own armour. Blinking to clear my eyes, I straightened and faced Jim once more.

“OK, I earned that.” I conceded.

“Damn right you did. One task you had to do. Just one. Stay in overwatch and direct the battle. Instead, what did you do? YOU LAUNCHED ATTACKS ON FORCES OUTSIDE THE BATTLE AREA! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?”

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my own temper, regardless of whether the treatment was deserved or not, and focused on the question. “It was plainly obvious that the Zerg were aiming for a battle of attrition. Grind us down with pure numbers until we can’t defend against them. The only way to make that even close to being equal was to cut them off at the source. Now, I know the Zerg can rebuild their structures and armies quickly but cutting them off early was the best way to prolong our survival time. We took out eight hive clusters in that attack. Even the Zerg would feel that kind of loss.”

Jim took a deep breath of his own. “Yes, you took out eight hive clusters. Out of over a thousand! And you damn near lost the  _ Liberator _ and killed yourself doing it. If Sarah hadn’t been helping to guide you down without the Zerg working out you were alive, triggering that flare to assist and softening the impact, all from nearly twenty kilometres away, you wouldn’t have walked away from that at all.”

My eyes widened as I spun to stare at Sarah, standing somewhat guiltily at the top of the ramp. She nodded slightly at my unspoken question. “You didn’t think the  _ Liberator  _ was  _ that _ tough, did you, Jason? You were coming down hard enough that the ship would have broken into pieces, even with your bag of tricks.”

“I know you’re prepared to sacrifice yourself if you have to, Jason.” Jim’s tone was now soft, softer that I expected. “But are you prepared to sacrifice your crew as well? Or Nova?”

My face went white at that idea, as I finally processed what I had asked of them. I had no doubt that my crew  _ would _ choose to sacrifice themselves if they had to. But I forced that potential choice on them without any regard for their opinion on the matter. They had trusted me to lead them though and I had failed them badly.

But Nova... I didn’t doubt she would hesitate to sacrifice herself either, but that was one price I couldn’t fathom being forced to pay. She was the best thing that had happened to me, ever, and I had no idea what I would do without her. Putting her at risk unnecessarily was something that I couldn’t understand why I had done it so easily.

“Low blow, Jim. Very low.” I whispered. In that moment, I stared into the abyss and realised that what stared back at me was both myself and something I couldn’t recognise.

For years, I had known that the glory of war that was all most rookies had thought about when they joined up was nothing more than a lie, spread by propaganda created by the politicians and broadcast by the media, driven by not only political motives but also commercial greed, knowing that bad news attracted far more attention than good. I had swiftly learnt the lesson in the Guild Wars - war was horror, plain and simple. While the bonds formed in battle were often those that lasted a lifetime, they were forged due to the fact that you had survived certain death together as much as to any sense of accomplishment of winning battles. You didn’t count wars and battles by who was right, only who was left. I had seen enough of the battlefield to know that whatever ‘glory’ was to be found there wasn’t worth the cost of what it took from you.

Yet, since Tarsonis, I had fallen back into the attitude in part of chasing the thrill of battle. I had grown more than a little arrogant, thinking that my personal presence on the battlefield was necessary for victory. Seeking personal glorification had no place on the battlefield, much less in a commander, yet I had fallen into that trap.

How had I managed to forget the lessons of the past?

Nova came up on my side, putting an arm around me and glaring at Jim. Her wordless support was both soothing and painful. Painful, because it was a reminder of the mistake I had made, and soothing because it reassured me of her care and love - two things that, right then, I desperately needed. Jim’s words, regardless of how true they were - or perhaps  _ because _ of how true they were - cut me to the quick, reinforcing the nagging questions that had been tormenting me since the  _ Liberator _ had crashed. With a grateful glance at Nova, I straightened, pushing as much as I could aside at that point and trying to focus on the job at hand, electing to ignore Jim at this point. Regardless of the sound reasoning behind his words, I couldn’t deal with them right now. Behind Jim, I could see the Protoss Executor standing and waiting. Lasarra evidently saw him too.

With the grace that was routinely associated with the Protoss, she walked past us to stand in front of him, bowing slightly.

_ “En Taro Adun, Executor.” _ Whatever else she might have said was interrupted as the Executor dragged her into an embrace, tears falling from his eyes. That was not something I’ve ever seen from a Protoss.

_ “Daughter, it is good to see you. It heals my heart to see you safe.” _

Emotion long suppressed made its way into Lasarra’s own voice.  _ “It is good to see you too, Father.”  _ Tears fell down her own face as she stepped back slightly and gripped her father’s shoulders.  _ “I feared that I would never see you again. But time is short and if we do not act quickly, our people may never know safety again.”  _

With a visible effort, the Executor shook himself free of his emotions and re-focused on the situation at hand.  _ “Indeed, daughter. You are correct. Your team is assembled, is it not?” _

_ “Yes, Father. Thanks to the efforts of our new friends.”  _ With a slight gesture, she drew attention back towards us, pulling our attention away from the match in tossing icy glares between Jim and Nova. With a warning glance at the two, I stepped forward, making my own slight bow.

“Your daughter understates her own contributions, Executor. We were simply in the area, more or less by chance.” I ignored the scoffs from behind me. From the expressions of both Protoss, it hadn’t passed unnoticed by them either, but both elected to continue on.

_ “Regardless of the circumstances, you achieved something I had all but given up hope of doing. We may yet succeed in escaping the trap that has been sprung on us.”  _ The hope in the Executor’s voice matched his words, succeeding in lifting my spirits slightly. If we could succeed in getting the arkship launched and into orbit, we might just stand a chance in this fight and save the Protoss as a species. While it wouldn’t exactly equal everything that we had lost for a lot of people, I knew that it was likely the best outcome that we could achieve. Saving lives, after all, was why we had started our revolution, and I wasn’t about to start differentiating between Protoss and Terran lives as one being more worthy of being rescued than the other.

I glanced at Lasarra. “What do you need to get this ship in the sky?”

Lasarra’s expression was serious.  _ “Time, Commander. As much as you can give us.” _ She turned towards the spire in front of us, a mammoth structure - and yet, I recognised that it simply hinted at the monumental ship beneath our feet.  _ “This ship has not been active in an aeon. While the technology of that time was built to last, it will still require careful management to restore her to sufficient functionality to fly once more, let alone to her full capacity. Such measures can only be hastened so much. With a ship that is nearly 75 kilometres long, 10 kilometres high and 17 kilometres wide, it is wise not to make mistakes.” _

I blinked. I knew the arkships were supposed to be big, but never imagined they would be that damn huge. Just a piloting error on a ship that massive could have dramatic consequences for anyone around it, nevermind what kind of damage any problems with a power plant capable of propelling a ship so large through warp space could possibly cause. With that kind of potential, I could definitely understand the need to be careful.

I nodded. “Leave it to us. We’ll get you that time. Just make sure you tell us before you launch. We’ll need time to get clear beforehand, or we’ll all end up in pieces.”

Lasarra nodded.  _ “Consider it done.”  _ Without hesitation, she spun around, summoning her team and taking off for the inside of the base. The Executor focused his attention on me after a lingering look after her.  _ “Commander, you have my thanks, both personally and professionally. My daughter is all I have left of her mother and I had resigned myself to the likelihood that I had sent her to her death for the sake of our people. Know, Commander Davis, that Executor Kaldalis calls you and yours a friend and ally, regardless of the position of the Conclave.”  _ His voice darkened somewhat.  _ “To think that a group of Terrans and ‘traitors’ has done more to defend and protect our race than our own government! We can extract you once the ship is activated. It will no doubt be easier and simpler than trying to withdraw your forces before it launches.” _

I slapped down the rising shreds of my pride that tried to refuse his assistance and nodded simply. “I would appreciate that, Executor. The quicker we can withdraw, the less lives we will lose, and I have to admit that our own position isn’t anywhere as strong as I’d like it to be.” I took a regretful glance back at the  _ Liberator _ . “At the very least, I think I’m going to need a lift.”

Kaldalis laughed, clapping me on the shoulder.  _ “After everything you’ve achieved here, I think we can arrange that. We can see what we need to do to get that fine ship of yours repaired as well. We cannot leave a beauty such as her in a state like this.” _

Again, I wrestled with my pride. I had guarded the secrets of the  _ Liberator _ for so long, I had always been reluctant to let others work on her if they didn’t already know about her. But I had very little chance of getting her back to  _ Terra Firma _ without some kind of assistance. None of my own ships were large enough to allow the  _ Liberator _ to dock within themselves and despite my previous words after the crash, I was not exactly keen on exposing her to vacuum. “On that, we can agree. But we need to get Lasarra the time she needs first before any of this becomes anything other than an academic discussion.”

_ “Indeed. Do you have suggestions for our defence?” _

I looked at him in disbelief. “Your defence has held against major Zerg assaults for days at the very least. I’m not inclined to insult you by coming in and suggesting changes when I have only minimal understanding of the current situation.”

_ “Interesting. It seems your little sidetrack has had an effect on you.”  _ A new, very familiar voice interrupted.

  
  


Spinning, I beheld Tassadar and Zeratul approaching, my nerves rising somewhat at their approach.

“Executor, Dark Prelate. I take it you were successful in your part of the operation.” I said quietly.

_ “Completely. Despite your sudden disappearance.”  _ Tassadar commented, evidently not able to pass up a shot at my expense.

I winced as his jab hit home but elected not to reply in kind. “I appreciate it. You definitely saved a lot of lives with that operation. At least we have a chance to dig in and hold on now. That chaos they’d be dealing with should help us a lot.”

Evidently, Tassadar didn’t like my words, as the next thing I knew, I was on the ground with sparks crackling around my armour from his psi assault.

“Jason!” Nova dropped to her knees, her concern writ large on her face. I groaned, the residual energy generating a large series of aches throughout my body. With Nova’s help, I managed to get back to my feet, albeit shakily. I managed to focus back on Tassadar.

“I know. I deserved that. Jim did something similar.” I said shakily.

Tassadar’s face twisted slightly and I braced myself for another burst. I was swiftly remembering that for all my skill, Tassadar was substantially more experienced than I was and a better fighter to boot. However, Nova clearly had had enough. With a swift motion, she stepped away from me and in between the two Protoss and myself.

“I let you have the first shot _ , Executor, _ because Jason had earned it. I will not allow you to take a second.” Her glare shot around and pinned Jim. “That goes for you too,  _ Captain _ .” Nova’s use of ranks and titles illustrated exactly how irritated she was. “Now, we have a large number of Zerg to deal with and no time to waste arguing with each other. I’m sure you can both handle things here.”

I looked at Nova slowly. “Nova, I-”

“Am going to leave them in charge while you get yourself checked out in the med bay. I agree, Jason, that sounds like an excellent idea. I’m sure Sarah can keep them in line.” Nova made it clear that she wasn’t going to accept any answer that didn’t agree with her statement for even a fraction of a second. Sarah stepping forward only cemented that impression.

“I’ll be more than happy to do so, Nova. Leave them to me and deal with our illustrious leader, would you please?”

Nova nodded and half-led, half dragged me back towards the  _ Liberator  _ and the medical bay within. I was far too sore and lost in my own thoughts to bother arguing any further. Nova didn’t say anything either, but I could feel her emotions boiling beneath the surface. Her silence continued as she led me to a vacant bed in the med bay, stripping off my armour and, gently but firmly, pushed me onto it. As the doctor fussed over me, she continued to stand there, staring at me with a mixture of sadness, frustration and tenderness.

Finally, the doctor finished, with the instruction that I wasn’t to go anywhere other than my quarters, which I thought was a little overkill, and Nova guided me there too. Sitting down on the end of the bed, I held my face in my hands, trying to put my thoughts and feelings caused by the events of the last few days into some sort of order. Nova sighed as she sat down beside me.

“You know that blaming yourself for everything isn’t going to actually help, right?” She asked quietly.

I snorted. “Well, that would fit in perfectly with the rest of this sorry state of affairs then, wouldn’t it? Let’s be honest, Nova, since we got to Aiur, things have gone from bad to worse and it’s been one clusterfuck after another. From the three-way battle, Tassadar’s stunt, our run-in with Fenix and then this whole debacle with the arkship, it’s been a near-disaster. And much of it is down to me making the wrong call.”

Nova’s eyes narrowed. “And how do you figure that?”

I sighed. “The battle I can’t really take the blame for because I wasn’t here. I’m not sure what I would have done if I was, but I don’t think that was really avoidable, mainly due to the stupidity of the Conclave. Attacking anyone other than the Zerg invading their homeworld, that’s just plain dumb.” I paused to gather my thoughts further. “Tassadar’s attack on Khor-shakal, while I still think it was ill-advised, probably actually helped a lot, given that this arkship seems to be buried under its ruins. Trying to activate it without the permission of the Conclave would have been near impossible and I can’t see them granting permission if their trust is in people like Aldaris. It doesn’t exactly bode well for the future of the Protoss if they put up with rulers like them. But whatever issues I had with it; I should have kept them private. That mistake did no one any favours. I undermined him in front of his own people. That was just plain stupid.”

Nova stayed silent, obviously realising that it was best to let me run through the entirety of my thoughts on this.

“Then there was the whole mess with the arkship’s defence. I’m pretty sure we earned some allies, but the  _ Liberator _ is essentially out of combat until we can get her back to  _ Terra Firma,  _ the only reason we didn’t lose anyone in the crash was because of sheer luck and Sarah’s intervention. Who knows how many lives were lost because I didn’t do my job properly. On top of all of that, how much longer is this alliance going to hold together now? Tassadar and Jim are furious, and rightly so; Sarah, of all people, is the voice of reason and the Protoss have to be questioning the sanity of working with us because I can’t apply lessons that I learnt years ago and realise that there is a time and a place for everything. So, what else would you use to describe this reason for this disaster?”

Nova was silent for a moment. “You realise that you can’t take all the blame for everything, right? I’m not saying that you haven’t made mistakes, but you can only take responsibility for your own, right?”

“Nova, I’m essentially the commanding officer for the whole Terran portion of this alliance and, whether I want to be or not, more or less the overall commander for the alliance as a whole. Just about everyone follows my lead, regardless of whether it’s a good idea or not.” At that point I froze, as something clicked.

I had been acting like I was commanding the Protoss forces as well when they really weren’t mine to command. I was stunned Tassadar hadn’t taken my head off by now. If our positions were reversed, I don’t think I could have held my temper for that long. I slumped, not relishing having to deal with the fallout from this combination of screw-ups.

Nova was obviously able to follow my train of thought, which wasn’t unexpected. “I’ll be honest, Jason. You screwed up and we all know that. The kind of attitude that you’ve been displaying recently, ever since we got to Char, has been fairly arrogant. It’s the kind of arrogance that I expect to see from the likes of your mother. Old Family attitude at its height.”

I winced bitterly. My mother was no small part of the reason I had turned my back on the power that I had ‘inherited’ as the future heir of the Tygore family, but I had tried hard to push that familial attitude down. To hear Nova admitting that to me hurt, badly.

But Nova wasn’t finished yet. “But you’re trying to take too much on your own shoulders. You’re acting like it’s your job to keep everything together, deal with the Overmind and Mengsk, as well as trying to keep Sarah from being corrupted. You have a large part to play in dealing with all of this, I don’t think anyone will deny that. But you’re not doing a good job of delegating what you don’t need to deal with personally, and you’ve stumbled somewhat with working with our allies. We’re all striving towards the same purpose, but not exploring every way to get there to find the best one.” She sighed, put one arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. “You make mistakes. Regardless of whether or not you’re the rawest recruit or the general of an army, nothing can eliminate that. You have a wealth of experience and training to help you minimise them, but that won’t stop you from making them. The ones that do slip past tend to have bigger consequences than if you weren’t leading us, but that’s to be expected. You have the responsibility of planning, guiding and leading a major military coalition. If something gets past you, it has a bigger effect than if a trooper makes a mistake. Power grants a lot of rights, but it comes with responsibility, as you know well. You haven’t done a good job with that responsibility, but you know the thing about dealing with mistakes?”

I frowned at her. “What?”

“They all get dealt with the same way. Seven times fall down, eight times get back up. As long as you keep getting back up to confront and fix your mistakes, and don’t let them rule you, you haven’t given up.” She stared straight at me. “I know you better than anyone else alive, Jason Davis. You don’t quit. You don’t give up. You don’t give in. So, get your act into gear, straighten up and work out how to sort this mess out and build on it. We’re all counting on you, but you can count on us too. Just remember that.”

Nova’s words relit a fire that had almost been snuffed out within me. Somehow, it tied together everything that had been irritating and niggling at me for the last few days. I hadn’t dealt with it all, not by a long shot, but I could begin working out how to manage it and begin working at fixing the problems. One thing I was certain of, I wasn’t going to fix them from in here.

I stood and pulled Nova up with me, kissing her deeply for a few seconds before pulling back slightly. “Glad you’re here to help keep my head on straight.”

Her eyes twinkled with a variety of emotions. “Count on it. So, you have a plan?”

I grinned. “Yep. Do my damn job this time.”

  
  


Striding to the tactical room, I didn’t waste any time; keying for a tactical display to get an overall picture of the battlefield. What I saw was not encouraging but not outright depressing at the same time.

The Zerg had not hesitated in their assault, continuing to press hard on all sides. Their numbers seemed without limit and their aggression was unrestrained. Their sheer dedication to the purpose of expunging every last one of us from the planet was as apparent as ever. Zerg of every type we had ever seen were swarming the defences, attempting to break through our lines.

However, the defence was just as solid as the attack, unyielding, unbroken and without comparison. Photon cannons and bunkers poured out massed fire into the Zerg ranks, with reavers and siege tanks, as well as the  _ Temeraires,  _ providing high-level and devastating support. Goliaths paired with dragoons supported both the air and ground defences while overhead, scouts, carriers, wraiths and battlecruisers clashed with the Zerg air forces. For the moment, the battle was evenly split. But the difference was the ability of the Zerg to call in overwhelming reinforcements. They could replace their losses far easier than we could. Overall, time was on their side.

At least, it would be if they didn’t have their own time limit to contend with. Whether they knew it or not, they only had a limited window of opportunity to deal with us. If we could hold on long enough for Lasarra and her team to get the arkship launched, then we would have no compelling reason to remain here further. However, pure defence would not suffice for this battle, as no defence was impenetrable, but similarly, though, no attack was flawless. The trick was finding a hole to exploit. Finally, I realised the small advantage that we possessed, outside of our solid defence.

Speed.

Many of our units were fast and agile. The vulture variants and  _ Stingrays _ sprang immediately to mind. While the Zerglings might be able to keep up with the Vultures, no other Zerg ground units could, and even their flyers would have difficulty. If we could turn the Zerg’s momentum back in upon themselves, then we’d be able to blunt their attack far more effectively. The trouble was finding someone daring enough to lead a charge like that. Jim would have been the ideal choice, given his skill with the Vulture, but I wasn’t inclined to talk to him unless absolutely necessary until he’d cooled down somewhat. Then I remembered someone else who might just be up to the challenge. Keying my comm, I got a swift reply.

“Commander? What do you need?” Kara Vaessen responded quickly. I smiled. I hadn’t had much chance to interact with Kara since she had joined us, but everything I’d heard from others had been positive. Now, it was time to see if it was all hype.

“Got a tricky job for you. Can you swing by the  _ Liberator _ ? If you’ve got some trusted people, bring them with you. This isn’t going to be an easy one.”

“On the way.” She signed off.

Nova looked at me. “What exactly do you have in mind?” She demanded.

“Using our advantages to the best effect.” I replied, pacing around the tactical room, and thus ignoring the medical advice. Given that I wasn’t planning on doing anything physical, however, I didn’t feel too bad about that. Nova’s gaze followed me; her eyes narrowed. Kara was evidently fairly close, as she reached us within minutes, a small group of soldiers on her heels.

“What do you have in mind, Commander?” She asked.

I gestured to the readout of the surrounding area. “With the Zerg coming so swiftly, we need to blunt their momentum, slow them down enough for us to get some breathing room. The only way to do that- ”

“Is with a counterattack.” Kara finished. “You know how dangerous that is right now.”

“Exactly, which is why you’re going to need to be fast. With you and Nova leading our new Vulture variants, you’ll be able to work out where you can exploit their gaps, cause chaos and fall back within the range of the defences. Combined with the support from above, it will give us a fighting chance.”

Kara sighed. Nova looked stunned. “That’s a bold call, Commander. Pulling something like that off would be near-impossible.” Kara pointed out.

I nodded grimly. “I know. If I had confidence that our defences could hold long enough for the arkship to be activated, then I wouldn’t have even considered this. But given the sheer pressure on them, we’re going to need to get some ammunition to the frontlines soon and have time for them to repair and reload. The Protoss will do better, given they rely far more on energy-based weapons, but we aren’t so fortunate. Even with our supplies and resource bases planet-side, we’re not going to be able to keep up without orbital supply runs. And I doubt that the Protoss lines alone can hold the Zerg back for long enough while we re-arm our own lines. We’ll be reaching that point soon enough in any case, better to do it now while we still have something in the tank.”

Kara considered that idea, while Nova looked somewhat doubtful. I sighed. “I’m not happy about it either. I’d prefer to do this myself, but that’s not an option. You two are the best I’ve got for something this tricky. I’m not going to order you to do it, but I have to ask you to.”

Nova’s eyes searched mine, reading me down to my soul. She sighed and nodded. “You know I will.”

Kara nodded. “I’ve seen you pull crazy things before and they’ve come off. We’ll get it done.”

“Appreciate it. Pick your teams and let me know when you’re ready. Be careful out there.”

Kara nodded, walking out with her troops following, as silent as they had been the whole time. Nova paused for a minute, looking at me. “You’re not going to try anything stupid, are you?”

I snorted. “I think I’ve already done enough of that.”

She smiled slightly. “Then something crazy? Something else crazy?” She amended quickly.

I shook my head. “No, for once I intend to be a good boy and do what I actually have to do, rather than what I want to do. Besides, I have an exceptionally good reason not to go off the reservation again.”

She smirked. “You’d better.”

I kissed her lightly. “Good luck and stay safe, ok?”

Her eyes twinkled. “Don’t I always?” With a familiar confident stride, she left with a last smirk over her shoulder at me. My smile faded as I watched her leave.

“Yeah, but you’ve hung around me long enough to pick up some of my bad habits.” I whispered to the empty room.

With an effort, I wrenched my thoughts back to the job at hand. Much as I didn’t want to, I had to talk to Jim next. Taking a deep breath, I keyed the comm.

“Jim, you read me?” I asked.

There was a pause before Jim replied. “What do you want, Jason? I’m a little busy right now.”

I sighed. “The way I see it, as much as we can argue about who did what wrong, if we don’t pull something out of our arse real fast, we can kiss this whole war good-bye. If we run out of ammo, the Protoss lines alone are not going to hold, we both know that. I know that ammo has got to be running low on the front line and we need to buy some time so we can resupply the tanks at the very least. Better to do that while they still have something left.”

Jim was silent for a moment. “And you have a plan to deal with that?”

“It’s risky, but yes. Kara and Nova are leading squads of the new Vulture types out to launch a counterattack, drive the Zerg back enough for us to get a chance to reload, catch our breath and patch things up. What I need you to do is take the  _ Stingrays _ , make sure the ammo drops get through and give the ground team some cover fire.”

“A counterattack against a heavily engaged enemy. That’s suicide, Jason, and not dissimilar to the stunt you pulled that smashed up the  _ Liberator _ .”

I winced. “I know. I maintain that it was still the right choice, but the execution was very flawed, to say the least. Even so, it bought us time. And time, right now, is what we need more than anything else.”

Jim was silent for a moment. “And you think you can buy time with this little plan of yours?”

“Jim, I know I say it a lot, but if you have a better idea, I’m all ears, because I haven’t got a better idea right now. We don’t need to hold them off forever, but we do need to drive them back long enough for the Protoss to get the arkship launched. But against the odds we’re facing...”

“Yeah. That’s a lot easier said than done. However, as it happens, Sarah and I do have a better idea.”

I blinked before a slow smile crossed my face. “Tell me more.”

  
  


Jim and Sarah’s plan was bold, I’d give them that. It was sure to attract the attention of the Zerg. It was risky, but coupled with my own plans, we could minimise that risk. With an idea cemented, we set to it, giving Nova and Kara the signal to start their counterassault. The roar of the engines as their strike force charged out from behind our lines, while not as impressive as what the Zerg on Char had witnessed, was still an imposing sound, and the speed of the attack caught the Zerg off guard. The Vulture variants had proven their worth on Char and they did not disappoint here either. Pushing the brunt of the Zerg attack force away from our lines, Nova and Kara led their force forward, driving all before them, using speed to evade the desperate assaults the Zerg attempted to regain the momentum. Just as it seemed as if the Zerg would regain the advantage and pin the forces down, Jim led the  _ Stingrays _ on another sweep, clearing the area around the ground force and allowing them to turn and charge again.

Finally, after several repetitions of this tactic, the Zerg had had enough, pulling their forces away from the rest of the attack and concentrating on the thorns in their side. With Jim’s help, Kara, Nova and the strike team fell back towards the base, fending off the leading edge of the Zerg forces. Behind them, however, the Zerg flowed in like a tsunami, intent on devouring anything in their path. Their anger at the warriors daring to not only stand against them, but charge out and face them openly, was utterly unmistakable. The hisses and shrieks of rage chilled the blood of everyone within hearing. From the experienced warriors on the frontlines of the battle, to us commanders watching their approach, all of us recognised the signs of a Zerg swarm in a blood-rage. Had the Overmind been in full command of himself, and thus the Swarm, he might have realised the dangers of this and tried to pull back his forces somewhat. However, his dark masters didn’t care for his losses one bit and had no reason to rein them in.

But ask any experienced and competent commander, and you’ll hear much the same kind of answer. Getting angry damages your thinking, even if some people might believe otherwise. Allowing yourself to fall into the kind of rage that the Zerg were currently experiencing gets you killed. The only reason the Zerg usually got away with it was that they had the numbers to overwhelm most defences.

What Jim and Sarah had waiting for them, however, were not most defences.

It had been poetic to use the  _ Shredder’s  _ swinging sharpened arms against the Zerg on Char. It was even more poetic to lure the attacking Zerg forces into an ambush and have  _ our _ Zerg forces emerge from underground and ambush them. Seeing Sarah emerge from cover and psionically weight-lift an Ultralisk and hurl it back in pieces into the on-coming Zerg was particularly sweet. As Nova, Kara and Jim turned and reengaged once more, the Zerg assault was once again blunted heavily.

All the while, dropships were rapidly unloading supplies and ammunition, the vehicles were rapidly restocking their supplies and the troops were taking advantage of the distraction to snatch what rest and sustenance they could manage. Even around the rest of the base’s defensive line, the assault slackened as the Zerg concentrated their own efforts on the strike team and Sarah’s supporting forces, giving even the Protoss defenders a much-needed break to rest and recharge.

All in all, our gambit bought the defenders nearly two hours of sorely needed recovery time. By the time the teams were forced back within the base, the defenses and defenders were repaired, reloaded, fresh and ready to fight again. Thanks to the overlapping fire, our own forces had taken minimal losses, although everyone had sustained at least minor injuries along the way. After a short discussion with the doctor, she cleared me to leave the ship once more and I met Nova as she rode victoriously back into the base. With cheers around us, I pulled her off the bike and into a spinning hug, a truly happy smile on my face for the first time since landing on Aiur.”

“Well done, Nova. Well done.” I whispered in her ear, allowing my joy to seep out. She pulled back beaming.

“All I did was follow the plan.” She grinned.

“Funny, that’s about all I did too.” I snarked back.

She laughed in a way I had not heard for weeks, and she wasn’t alone. All around, there were more signs of cheer than I had seen since before Char. The sheer exhilaration of surviving was apparent on a lot of faces; even the nearby Protoss defenders were lifted by the higher spirits of our force. The battle might not be won just yet, but there was a definite hope that it was at least achievable.

This, at least, was something that seemed to be approaching realisation and the chiming of my comm an hour later signaled, for once, good news.

_ “Commander?” _ Lasarra’s voice brought a smile to my face.  _ “We have almost achieved full activation. If the defences can remain firm for another 15 minutes, then we can activate the arkship’s system, extract everyone and get the vessel up into orbit.” _

My smile broadened. “Lasarra, I think I can nearly guarantee that we can make that happen.”

  
  


The news that we had an achievable target to hold for  _ and  _ an escape plan boosted morale through the roof as the news hit. Exhaustion faded miraculously. and everyone was moving with purpose and determination. With the newly rearmed force, the Zerg failed to gain any ground against our defences, despite their immense strength of numbers. While the fleet pulled back towards high orbit in order to clear the path, the static defences that remained were more than sufficient to handle the aerial threat. As more of the arkship’s systems came online, the ancient shielding that the huge vessel featured began to activate, providing additional protection and defence against the Zerg assault. With things finally beginning to turn in our favour, the Zerg’s desperation was as apparent as it was futile.

With the new support, we could finally begin to evacuate the base’s defences. As the arkship’s transport systems powered up, troops and vehicles began to be warped aboard. The remaining defenders from Lasarra’s former outpost were among the first to be extracted, as their position was somewhat more perilous than our own. The  _ Liberator _ was also quick to be teleported, with no one willing to leave it behind and it being more of a hazard on the battlefield right now than an asset. With her safely secured, my crew began to conduct repairs in earnest, while Nova and I transferred to the bridge of the arkship itself.

I had heard Tassadar speak of the beauty of Protoss ship architecture, even from the earliest meetings with him. I had not forgotten his compliment to the  _ Liberator _ and how it reminded him of the ships of his own people. I had long admired the smooth lines of the Protoss ships from outside. Yet, none of this prepared me for witnessing the inside of not simply a Protoss vessel, but perhaps their most advanced and graceful design ever created. Inside, it was simply a work of art, there was no other way to describe it. The ship operated in ways that Terran technology simply wasn’t capable of yet, and might not ever be, and it looked incredible while doing it. This was a vessel that did not have to prove itself to an onlooker. Its sheer presence and appearance were enough to awe any that beheld it. Putting words to describe its effect on both Nova and I simply wasn’t possible.

The bridge was a hive of activity, with everyone moving with purpose. At the centre of the chaos, Lasarra stood, directing her team in checking and activating systems. Somewhat further back, the various Protoss leaders were clustered around a projection of the surrounding area, directing the battle. Studying the display from a distance, Nova and I hung back, seeing no reason to interject at this point. However, our attempts to stay out of the discussion were short-lived.

Kaldalis waved us into the group; Nova and I obliged, standing in between him and Selendis. Nodding in greeting at the gathered warriors, I gestured towards the display.

“How goes our extraction?” I asked.

_ “Very smoothly, thanks to you.”  _ Kaldalis replied, delighted.

I grimaced. “Don’t give us all the credit, your people held for a very long time before we even arrived. Our efforts would have been for nothing without your own sacrifices.” I looked around the room at those that I had come to call close friends. In many ways, I was as close to some of the people in this room as I was with Jim and Sarah. Selendis had fought alongside me for months without complaint. Zeratul had been a steady rock for us, rarely obvious but always present when needed. Tassadar, despite our recent differences, was someone I knew that I could count on when it mattered. Even Artanis, Kaldalis and Lasarra, Fenix and Talis, though I hadn’t known them for long, were people that I had come to respect. I sighed.

“This isn’t down to just one of our number. We’re all as strong as the weakest of us. It’s only because we’ve all worked together when it counts that we’ve got this far, and it’s only through working together that we’ll be able to endure and stand strong to fight for our future. Because we’re all in this as one.” I stared at Tassadar. “And none of us is any better than anyone else. Including me. Especially me.”

Tassadar looked at me calmly.  _ “At least you are willing to acknowledge your mistakes.” _

I snorted. “I’m not infallible, not by a long shot. After all, by your standards, I’m not even close to being on your level; of course I’m going to make mistakes. But the day that I don’t learn from them is the day I’m not fit to lead others. It’s past time I remembered that.”

Tassadar lifted his head.  _ “Then none of us have reason to be concerned. You are correct, by our standards you would barely be a warrior. But if this war has demonstrated one thing, it is that we cannot judge terrans by our standards. You use your more limited time to drive yourself forward faster than we do.” _ He turned, addressing the rest of the Protoss. _ “Were this battle fought by Protoss alone, we would long since have been lost. It has been through the ingenuity of our Terran allies and their resolve and determination that we remain, at least in part, in control of our own fate. It has been through the sacrifice of one of our bravest that portions of the Zerg, who we once believed to be nothing but a scourge on the universe, have shown us that even those we would think of enemies are more than they appear. Even infestation cannot corrupt the noble nature of a warrior. Together, we cover the weaknesses of the other and combine our strengths as one, united force. We stand not as Protoss, Terran and Zerg, but fellow warriors, unafraid to hold the line in defence of those that need it. The alliance that we have forged grants us the strength we need to withstand the assaults upon us and build hope for our future.” _

Finally, he turned back to me.  _ “We stand as one.”  _ He stated, extending his hand.

I took it, smiling. “En Taro Adun.” I replied.

  
  


Lasarra, her expression radiating happiness, crossed over to us.  _ “Executors, Commander. All systems are online. We are ready for launch.” _

Kaldalis nodded in acknowledgement.  _ “Very well, daughter. Begin warping all remaining warriors aboard and set course for high orbit. From there, we must begin evacuating all survivors within range.” _

Taking the hint, I keyed my comm. “All units, this is Commander Davis. Disengage and prepare for extraction.”

As I watched, soldiers and vehicles either boarded dropships and departed for the fleet, or were warped aboard, safe in the knowledge that their task, for now, was complete. Within seconds, everyone had been safely extracted and the surrounding area was clear. Kaldalis, recognising this, gave his orders.

_ “Engage the engines. Take us into orbit.” _

A low thrum filled the ship. Kilometre-long sections of seemingly solid ground around us retracted, as the ancient hangar bay opened in preparation for our departure. The attacking Zerg, surprised by the sudden change, fell into the chasm that opened up beneath their feet. As the sections finished retreating, the thrum grew, and I could feel a shudder pass through the hull that I recognised as restraining components being removed from the ship. Another tremor, and I could feel the massive ship begin to move upwards. Looking out of the bridge windows, I was able to see the hangar bay moving past us. But the surface itself was so far ahead that I simply couldn’t make it out. It was one thing to know that the ship I was standing on was nearly 75 kilometres long, and something else entirely to bear witness to that fact and realise that you were, in fact, on a vessel of such size that was moving under its own power.

As the ship began to emerge from her resting place, her own weapons began to engage, eliminating any lingering Zerg presence around her, not tolerating any desecrators in her vicinity. As she climbed, more and more of her superstructure began to appear on the display in front of us above the planet’s surface, stretching in a near endless line of metal. I could imagine the thoughts of those that beheld the incredible ship from outside.

Where the Zerg represented fear and destruction, the arkship stood as hope. A symbol of defiance against those that would defile her home, and a reminder that such acts would not go unpunished. Even within her hull, my heart lifted, knowing that this mighty ship would finally give us a chance to even the odds against us.

While Lasarra had explained that the arkship could warp directly into orbit, everyone had agreed that this longer, slower means of launching would be less stressful on her old frame, as no one was entirely sure what to expect from her after being idle for an eon. The fact that her slow, menacing appearance was also an imposing and dominating sight to any Zerg that beheld it was, I’m sure, entirely an unintended coincidence.

It took a full 25 minutes for the stern of the arkship to clear the hangar bay and by that time, her bow was almost brushing the edge of space. For a ship so large, however, she manoeuvred with a kind of grace and speed that should not have been possible from a ship of her sheer size. My jaw had fallen open from the spectacle I was witnessing and Nova wasn’t any better. Lasarra, finished with her tasks for now, joined us.

_ “I take it that you are impressed by our new vessel.” _ She commented cheekily.

I nodded, still struggling to speak. “What I’m looking at should not be possible. It’s one thing to hear about this, but something else entirely to see it in action.” I managed after a moment.

Lasarra looked as if she was about to continue, but a small nod from the Phase-Smith I remembered from her outpost caught her attention and she focused on the Executors.  _ “Executors, the  _ Spear of Adun _ has reached high orbit. We are ready to begin warping survivors aboard.” _

_ “Excellent, begin at once.”  _ Tassadar replied, turning his attention to the battle around us. With an effort, I too focused my attention on the tactical display showing Aiur. Around us, the Zerg were withdrawing somewhat, unwilling to face this new, powerful warship along with the existing fleet without reinforcements. Our own fleets, their morale boosted by the  _ Spear’s _ arrival, defended the space we controlled with vigor, refusing to allow the Zerg any room to pierce through. While we were still outnumbered, I was no longer certain that we were outgunned.

A movement on the display caught my eye, a movement that I recognised from seeing recently. To my utter surprise, a spike was appearing to thrust itself from beneath the surface, a spike that I recognised, having just watched it minutes before. I nodded to the display. “Lasarra, is that what I think it is?”

Her eyes narrowed, focusing on the image, before widening as she paced across to a nearby sensor terminal to pull up a closer image. Selendis, drawn by our sudden movements, joined me as I crossed to the terminal as well.

_ “It is, Commander. A second arkship is launching. It appears to be the  _ Pride of Altaris.”

Selendis and I exchanged looks. Few were aware of the arkships’ existence and, while this certainly qualified as a circumstance where their aid was required, this second unexpected launch was a complete surprise. The other Protoss had taken notice of this new arrival by now and were watching it with similar shock.

_ “Open a hailing frequency to the  _ Pride. _ ” _ Artanis ordered softly.

Lasarra turned to the appropriate console, keying in commands before shaking her head.  _ “They are not responding. Warp-in signals are being detected from it, concentrated on the planet’s surface. They are centred in the Ara tribe territory.” _

Artanis stiffened.  _ “Open a channel to Judicator Aldaris’s flagship immediately.”  _ He demanded.

My head snapped up at him, staring in question. Did Artanis think that Aldaris was about to repeat his past actions? The small nod I got told me that Artanis did indeed believe that.

_ “Judicator Aldaris is not responding either.” _ The Phase-Smith reported. All attention was now focused directly on the new arkship. As we watched, a fleet of Protoss warships broke off from the battle and began to join formation with the  _ Pride of Altaris.  _ One ship in particular I recognised.

“He surely can’t be that stupid and selfish?” I murmured.

Tassadar had stepped up beside me as we watched.  _ “It would appear that he can indeed.” _

Tassadar proved correct, for even as we watched, horrified, the arkship and its new accompanying fleet accelerated into warp, abandoning Aiur and the billions of Protoss still in need of being evacuated. Even as rage and anger was almost palpably rising from the Protoss around me, one thought was foremost in my mind, above the evacuation efforts, even above the upcoming battle with the Overmind that I knew now we had to face very soon.

I was certain we had not seen the last of Judicator Aldaris, and I doubted he would be any friendlier to us when we encountered him next.


End file.
